THE  MAN  WHOM  LANGUAGE  CANNOT  EXALT." 


GEORGE    WASHINGTON 
DAY  BY  DAY 


BY 

ELIZABETH  BRYANT  JOHNSTON 

II 

Author  of  "Original  Portraits  of  Washington," 

"  Christmas  in  Kentucky,  1862," 

Etc.,  Eta 


NEW  YORK 
THE  BAKER  &  TAYLOR  CO. 

1895 


SI 


Copyright,  1894,  by 
Elizabeth  Bryant  Johnston 


TO 

THE  CHILDREN  OF  MY  COUNTRY 

THE  ARMY  WHICH  WASHINGTON  SAID  COULD 

NEVER  BE  CONQUERED 


340129 


PREFACE. 


T  has  been  claimed,  and  frequently  conceded,  that  the  world — how- 
ever much  it  may  admire  the  patriot,  the  warrior,  the  statesman — 
does  not  know  the  man,  George  Washington.  No  better  way  can  be 
adopted  for  the  study  of  the  life  and  character  of  an  individual 
than  by  the  presentation  of  a  direct,  well-supported  statement  of 
events  of  that  life,  though,  compared  with  historic  narrative,  such  a  work  must 
lose  in  grace  of  composition.  Acting  upon  this  self-evident  fact,  the  author  offers 
to  students  incidents  in  the  life  of  Washington  on  the  day  of  their  occurrence, 
endeavoring  to  bring  their  minds  into  intimate  relation  with  events,  public  and 
personal,  which  show  all  sides  of  his  character — from  which  they  can  draw  their 
own  conclusions  and  adjust  their  own  standards.  The  purpose  of  this  book  is 
educational — such  education  as  should  spring  from,  flourish  in,  and  be  forever 
associated  with,  the  home.  As  a  whole,  it  is  suggestive  and  intended  to  arouse 
a  spirit  of  inquiry ;  it  contains  more  than  a  thousand  facts  illustrating  the  daily 
walk  and  conversation  of  Washington.  The  field  for  a  work  that  may  be  so 
happy  as  to  nourish  patriotism  extends  from  ocean  to  ocean  —  from  the  noble 
pines  of  the  North  to  the  cotton-fields  of  the  South.  It  is  with  the  hope  of 
leading  the  American  youth  to  a  direct  personal  acquaintance  with  the  man 
to  whom  the  world  from  generation  to  generation  has  given  the  first  place  in 
American  citizenship  that  this  book  is  offered.  It  has  been  a  work  of  labor  and 
of  love. 

No  other  country  has  ever  possessed  a  representative  who  by  all  countries 
has  been  so  enthusiastically  appreciated.    Lord  Byron  truly  says 

"Washington  's  a  watchword  such  as  ne'er 
Shall  sink  while  there  's  an  echo  left  to  air." 

Therefore,  any  expression  of  pride  we  utter  may  be  pardoned.  Let  us  not  only 
take  pride  in  Washington's  memory,  but  let  us  emulate  his  virtues;  and  his 
greatest  virtue  was  his  sorely  tried,  self-forgetting,  unflinching,  exalted  pa- 
triotism. 

vil 


viii  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

With  the  Greeks,  love  of  country  was  piety.  Let  it  become  more  a  part  of 
our  religion,  that  part  which  rises  above  all  theories,  philosophies,  and  creeds, 
uniting  us,  if  in  nothing  else,  in  the  divine  fellowship  of  the  love  of  country. 

There  is  much  to  encourage  the  young  in  the  close  study  of  the  events  in 
Washington's  life,  which  show  an  evolution  upon  philosophical  principles  — 
from  a  boyhood  loving  and  strong,  a  manhood  honest  and  patriotic,  to  an  old 
age  illustrious  and  beloved.  The  youth  of  America  who  have  educational  advan- 
tages which  Washington  could  not  command,  may  develop  on  the  same  princi- 
ples, the  canons  of  which  are  high  purpose  and  duty  never  ignored.  Note 
Washington's  first  crude,  ill-spelt  efforts  j  and  yet,  in  the  years  of  his  laborious 
life  he  became — to  quote  one  who  has  studied  him  in  detail —  "  the  most  felicitous 
letter-writer  of  the  ages."  His  letters,  it  is  truly  said,  are  his  most  complete 
biography,  and  for  that  and  other  reasons  should  be  placed  in  the  hands  of  every 
American  boy  and  girl.  His  evolution  in  military  affairs  was  the  wonder  of  all 
Europe.  He  had  no  master,  was  not  in  the  beginning  familiar  with  the  dog- 
matic etiquette  of  academies,  nor  even  with  the  usual  routine,  as  is  indicated  by 
his  correspondence  with  Governor  Dinwiddie  j  yet  he  learned  in  the  hard  school 
of  experience,  and  so  developed  that  at  the  very  opening  of  the  struggle  for  In- 
dependence he  gave  severe  rebukes  to  Lord  Howe  regarding  military  amenities. 
He  never  failed  to  yield  all  the  courtesy  the  enemy  could  claim;  he  never  failed 
to  demand  every  iota  that  was  his  due — not  for  his  own  aggrandizement,  but  for 
the  dignity  of  that  body  whose  servant  he  was,  "  The  Congress." 

In  studying  the  life  of  Washington,  one  thing  cannot  be  overlooked  j  and  that 
is,  his  reverence  for  law.  There  were  many  opportunities  in  his  career  when  he 
could  have  exalted  the  military  over  the  civil  j  but  to  none  of  these,  save  under 
dire  pressure,  did  he  yield.  He  honored  civil  authority  in  letter  and  in  spirit, 
and  strove  to  imbue  his  soldiers  with  the  same  principle.  Though  a  military 
chieftain,  he  stood  with  uncovered  head  before  the  President  of  Congress ;  and 
when  a  grateful  people  wished  to  perpetuate  him  in  marble,  he  said :  "  Let  it  be 
as  a  private  citizen."  A  deeper  reverence  for  law  and  a  greater  devotion  to  our 
national  institutions  are  the  lessons  of  the  day.  The  very  life  of  the  nation  de- 
pends on  sustaining  the  majesty  of  the  law,  and  instilling  into  the  hearts  of 
American  children  an  earnest  reverence  for  its  sacred  power. 

This  record  must  of  necessity  be  a  disjointed,  kaleidoscopic  presentation,  a 
mosaic  of  events ;  but  it  is  given  with  the  hope  of  preserving  the  theme,  so  that 
the  result  will  be  a  character-study.  The  aim  will  have  been  achieved  if  the 
youthful  reader  realizes  the  immense  labor,  devotion,  and  chief  attributes  of 
George  Washington.  The  difficulties  of  collecting  facts  for  this  book  and  of  estab- 
lishing events  on  the  day  of  their  occurrence,  cannot  be  appreciated.  The  neg- 
ligence of  biographers  —  it  being  so  much  easier  to  gracefully  describe  an  event 
than  to  be  exact — has  caused  labor,  doubt,  and  confusion.  Much  good  work  is 
being  accomplished  in  Washingtoniana,  and  more  penetrating  light  thrown  on 
"the  days  that  tried  men's  souls."    Hale,  Ford,  Conway,  Baker,  and  Toner  have 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  is 

placed  students  of  history  under  new  and  agreeable  obligations  by  presenting  the 
real  Washington,  who  will  forever  fill  the  niche  so  long  occupied  by  the  ideal 
Washington.  The  author  of  "  George  Washington  Day  by  Day  v  would  do  her- 
self injustice  if  she  failed  to  express  earnest  gratitude  for  the  aid  she  has  re- 
ceived from  the  rich  and  eminently  trustworthy  record  of  William  S.  Baker's 
"  Itinerary  of  General  Washington/7  and  from  Dr.  Joseph  M.  Toner's  conscien- 
tious, painstaking  transcriptions  of  *  Washington's  Journals."  To  Dr.  Toner,  for 
his  tenacious  regard  of  truth  and  absolute  adherence  to  text,  the  future  biogra- 
pher of  Washington  will  owe  more  than  to  any  other  man ;  but  one  regrets  that 
Dr.  Toner's  work  is  chiefly  confined  to  Washington's  youth  and  early  manhood, 
and  does  not  embrace  his  entire  career. 

Washington's  life  is  the  history  of  the  early  life  of  the  nation  j  his  name  is 
linked  with  every  eminent  name  and  with  every  pivotal  event  of  the  latter  half 
of  the  eighteenth  century.  This  book  was  written  especially  for  the  boys  and 
girls  of  our  country,  and  if,  through  it,  a  more  earnest  patriotism  is  promoted, 
the  writer  will  have  received  her  reward — the  highest  to  which  she  can  aspire. 
The  feature  of  utilizing  it  as  a  birthday  souvenir  is  secondary  and  incidental  j 
but,  if  so  utilized,  it  will  connect  the  birthdays  of  boys  and  girls  with  some 
essential  service  rendered  our  common  country,  or  with  some  social  or  personal 
incident  in  the  life  of  Washington. 

E.  B.  J. 


ILLUSTEATIONS. 


In  illustrating  "  George  Washington  Day  by  Day,"  the  writer  has  endeavored 
to  emphasize  the  great  principle,  too  often  ignored,  that  art  promotes  patriotism. 
One  of  the  strongest  sinews  binding  the  republic  of  France  to-day  is  the  love  of 
art,  which  has  been  encouraged  and  protected  by  the  Government.  The  selections 
of  public  buildings  and  headquarters  have  been  as  nearly  as  possible  reproduc- 
tions of  these  historic  places  as  they  appeared  a  century  ago. 

The  head-bands  are  all  original  drawings  in  which  the  artist,  Mr.  E.  H.  Miller, 
has  with  skilful  pencil  introduced  or  symbolized  the  events  in  their  respective 
months — each  one  a  beautiful  lesson  in  history. 

The  medallion  on  the  cover  is  after  a  beautiful  miniature  by  John  Ramage 
which  has  recently  been  found,  having  been  given  to  a  connection  of  the  family. 
In  the  back  of  the  miniature  was  inserted  "A  lock  of  my  dear  Lady's  hair"; 
and  the  monogram  in  gold,  "  G.  W." 

MOUNT  VERNON— WEST  FRONT Frontispiece 

MOUNT  VERNON— RIVER  FRONT Opposite  page  1 

PHOTOGRAPHED  BY  FRANCES  B.  JOHNSTON. 

In  Mount  Vernon,  where  Washington  lived  and  where  he  now  rests,  there  cen- 
ters more  interest  than  in  any  dwelling  of  the  New  World.  It  has  been  styled 
"  The  Mecca  of  America."  It  is  more  than  that — it  is  a  spot  the  world  holds 
sacred  through  association  with  Washington's  name,  and  hallowed  by  the  love 
he  gave  it.  The  west  side  was  the  entrance,  and  was  approached  through  a 
heavy  woodland  from  the  country  road  a  mile  distant.  The  generous  lawn  was 
Washington's  pleasure:  he  planted  the  trees,  still  standing ;  planned  its  walks  j 
and  ornamented  its  mounds.  On  either  side  were  large  gardens,  orchards, 
and  stables.  The  offices,  houses  for  various  industries,  and  negro  quarters 
were  all  visible  from  the  hall  door.  The  river  front,  with  its  pillared  veranda 
facing  the  broad  Potomac,  is  more  beautiful  and  more  familiar.  The  country 
is  not  ignorant  nor  unappreciative  of  the  care  given  Washington's  home  by  the 
"  Ladies'  Mount  Vernon  Association  of  the  Union." 


HEADQUARTERS  AT  VALLEY  FORGE Opposite  page  17 

DRAWN  AFTER  PHOTOGRAPH  BY  H.   HOBERT  NICHOLS. 

If  one  could  select  a  synonym  for  patient  suffering,  devoted  patriotism,  heroic 
manhood,  "  Valley  Forge  "  would  embody  this  sublime  triune  of  virtue.     The 


xii  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


headquarters  of  the  Commander-in-chief  in  the  modest  stone  farm-house  of 
Isaac  Potts,  a  thrifty  Quaker,  have  been  purchased  and  are  kept  in  good  con- 
dition by  "  The  Centennial  and  Memorial  Association  of  Valley  Forge."  The 
oath  of  allegiance  was  taken  by  the  army  at  this  camp,  General  Stirling  ad- 
ministering it  to  the  officers.  It  was  here  that  the  glad  news  of  the  French 
alliance  cheered  patriot  hearts,  and  from  here  the  Continentals  marched  to 
Monmouth  and  to  victory. 


HEADQUARTERS  AT  MORRISTOWN Opposite  page  33 

DRAWN  AFTER  PHOTOGRAPH  BY  H.   HOBERT  NICHOLS. 

"The  Washington  Association  of  New  Jersey"  is  the  faithful  custodian  of 
the  Morristown  headquarters,  where  may  be  studied  one  of  the  most  interesting 
collections  of  relics  of  the  Revolution  in  the  country.  It  was  the  commodious 
home  of  the  widow  of  Colonel  Jacob  Ford,  and  was  taken  possession  of  by  Wash- 
ington in  the  autumn  of  1779.  This  spot  was  the  scene  not  only  of  heart-rend- 
ing suffering,  but  of  some  of  the  grandest  pageants  of  the  war. 


CHRIST  CHURCH,  ALEXANDRIA Opposite  page  41 

DRAWN  BY  E.   H.  MILLER. 

This  interesting  old  edifice,  antedating  the  Revolution,  and  built  of  brick 
brought  from  England,  has  no  architectural  claims.  A  slab  beside  the  chancel  of 
white  marble  memorializes  the  fact  of  Colonel  George  Washington  having  been 
a  vestryman  of  this  church.  A  similar  one  is  placed  to  the  memory  of  General 
Robert  E.  Lee,  who  held  the  same  office. 


FEDERAL  HALL     Opposite  page  49 

DRAWN  BY  DE  LANCEY  W.  GILL. 

The  scene  enacted  on  the  balcony  of  this  beautiful  old  building,  April  30, 1789, 
was  the  solemn  inauguration  and  proclamation  to  the  world  of  "  a  government 
of  the  people,  by  the  people,  for  the  people."  In  this  stately  edifice  was  Con- 
gress Hall,  designed  and  ornamented  by  that  accomplished  French  officer, 
Major  L'Enfant.  This  has,  most  unhappily,  not  been  preserved,  and  the 
change  of  name  of  the  edifice  to  the  "  Sub-Treasury  "  is  also  a  matter  of  regret. 
The  citizens  of  New  York  have  memorialized  the  spot  by  a  superb  statue  of 
Washington.  The  centenary  of  the  "  first  inauguration  "  was  celebrated  with 
great  splendor  and  enthusiasm. 


HEADQUARTERS  AT  NEWBURG Opposite  page  65 

DRAWN  BY  E.   H.   MILLER. 

This  quaint  old  Dutch  homestead,  the  Hasbrouck  House,  was  occupied  by 
Washington  longer  than  any  other  place  during  the  struggle  for  independence ; 


ILLUSTRATIONS.  xiii 

and  it  is  probable  that  if  he  had  been  called  upon  he  would  have  said :  "  Here 
I  most  suffered;  here  my  brave  soldiers  were  most  tried."  The  two  years  fol- 
lowing Yorktown  were  a  sore  test,  and  the  Newburg  Addresses  bear  witness 
that  the  delays  of  Congress  grew  intolerable.  Washington's  diplomacy  was, 
however,  equal  to  the  occasion,  and  his  veterans  justified  the  faith  he  reposed 
in  them.  But  the  most  important  service  rendered  at  Newburg  was  his  "  Cir- 
cular Letter  n  —  the  plea  for  Union. 


INDEPENDENCE  HALL Opposite  page  81 

DRAWN  BY  E.   H.   MILLER. 

The  drawing  of  Independence  Hall  is  after  an  old  print  presenting  this  sacred 
edifice  as  it  looked  when  George  Washington  of  Virginia  was  chosen  Com- 
mander-in-chief of  the  Continental  army,  or  on  that  summer  day  when  the  old 
Liberty  Bell  spoke  to  the  world  with  brazen  tongue  the  sentiments  so  pro- 
phetically encircling  its  rim ;  or  as  it  looked  at  dawn,  when  the  voice  rang 
from  the  belfry  the  magic  words :  "A  bright  morning,  and  Cornwallis  taken." 


HEADQUARTERS  AT  CAMBRIDGE Opposite  page  97 

DRAWN  BY  E.   H.   MILLER. 

u  The  Vassall  House/'  a  handsome  mansion  of  old  colony  days,  was  destined 
to  become  famous  through  two  illustrious  names  — Washington,  the  founder  of 
the  nation,  and  Longfellow,  "  the  poet  of  the  people."  The  poet  thus  wrote 
of  the  warrior : 

"Once,  ah,  once,  within  these  walls, 
One  whom  memory  oft  recalls, 

The  'Father  of  his  Country/  dwelt. 
And  yonder  meadows,  broad  and  damp, 
The  fires  of  the  besieging  camp 

Encircled  with  a  burning  belt. 
Up  and  down  these  echoing  stairs, 
Heavy  with  the  weight  of  cares, 

Sounded  his  majestic  tread ; 
Yes,  within  this  very  room, 
Sat  he  in  those  hours  of  gloom, 

Weary  both  in  heart  and  head." 


THE  ROGER  MORRIS  HOUSE Opposite  page  113 

DRAWN  BY  MARIE  LE   PRINCE. 

This  handsome  residence  in  Harlem  was  the  home  of  Captain  Roger  Morris 
of  the  British  army,  who  was  wounded  at  Monongahela.  His  wife,  Slary  Phil- 
ipse,  has  the  credit  of  rejecting  the  suit  of  Colonel  Oeorge  Washington.  This 
house  was  occupied  as  headquarters  only  a  few  days  after  the  retreat  from 
Long  Island.  It  was  doubtless  down  those  broad  steps  that  Nathan  Hale,  our 
martyr  soldier,  went  on  his  mission  to  death  and  immortality. 


xiv                                     GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 
HEADQUARTERS  AT  TAPPAN Opposite  page  129 

DRAWN  BY  E.   H.   MILLER. 

The  De  Wint  House,  a  low  stone  building,  the  home  of  a  prosperous  farmer, 
near  the  village  of  Tappan,  was  several  times  occupied  by  General  Washing- 
ton. It  was  here  he  passed  bitter,  bitter  days  realizing  the  cruel  treachery  of 
Arnold ;  here  his  signature  sealed  the  fate  of  Andre  j  and  here  he  wrote  one 
of  the  most  wonderful  letters  that  emanated  from  his  prolific  pen,  announcing 
to  Congress  the  treason  of  Arnold. 


THE  MOORE  HOUSE Opposite  page  145 

DRAWN  AFTER  PHOTOGRAPH  BY  H.   HOBERT  NICHOLS. 

This  frame-house,  about  a  mile  from  Yorktown,  belonging  to  the  "  Widow 
Moore,"  a  daughter  of  Governor  Spotswood,  was  chosen  by  General  Washington 
on  October  18, 1781,  as  the  place  where  the  "  Articles  for  the  Surrender  of  the 
Posts  of  York  and  Gloucester n  should  be  drawn  up.  The  house  is  on  Temple 
Farm,  so  called  from  u  The  Temple,"  an  old  church  of  which  small  trace  remains. 
In  its  vaults  were  interred  many  .notables ;  one  of  whom  was  Governor  Alexan- 
der Spotswood,  the  most  chivalric  figure  of  his  day.  He  made  the  first  impor- 
tant exploration  of  the  Appalachian  Range  in  1716.  To  each  of  the  gentlemen 
who  accompanied  him  he  presented  a  horseshoe  of  gold,  and  they  were  known  as 
u  The  Knights  of  the  Golden  Horse  Shoe."  The  Moore  House  is  now  owned  by 
John  Cruikshank,  Esq.,  who  receives  with  graceful  hospitality  the  many  pilgrims 
visiting  the  honored  spot. 


PLASTER  CAST  OF  WASHINGTON Opposite  page  153 

ENGRAVED  PROM  THE   ORIGINAL. 

In  selecting  a  portrait  there  was  no  choice;  for  where  only  one  is  to  be  pre- 
sented, the  standard  likeness  must  necessarily  be  chosen.  The  plaster  cast 
given  here  without  the  removal  of  a  spot  or  a  scratch,  was  made  from  life  in 
October,  1785,  by  the  "  first  statuary  of  the  age,"  Jean  Antoine  Houdon,  at 
Mount  Vernon.  This  head  is  a  national  possession,  and  as  such  should  be 
jealously  cherished.  When  the  United  States  Government  placed  the  Houdon 
head  on  our  foreign  letter-stamp,  it  introduced  to  the  world  the  veritable 
Washington. 


HEADQUARTERS  AT  CUMBERLAND,  MD Opposite  page  161 

DRAWN  BY  E.   H.   MILLER. 

There  were  limited  data  from  which  to  produce  this,  the  first  headquarters 
of  Washington;  but  the  abode  of  the  young  Virginia  colonel  is  replete  with 
interest.  His  correspondence  with  the  authorities  at  Williamsburg,  his  frantic 
appeals  for  help  to  protect  the  panic-stricken  inhabitants  on  the  frontier,  fore- 
shadowed his  labor  with  "  the  Congress  "  for  supplies  of  food  and  clothing  for 
the  patriot  army  of  the  Revolution. 


ILLUSTRATIONS.  xv 

HEADQUARTERS  AT  ROCKY  HILL Opposite  page  169 

DRAWN  BY  E.  H.  MILLER. 

Rocky  Hill,  the  last  headquarters  of  the  Revolution,  is  in  a  picturesque 
village  four  miles  from  Princeton.  It  was  the  home  of  Judge  John  Berrien, 
and  was  occupied  by  Washington  a  few  weeks  in  the  autumn  of  1783,  when 
summoned  to  appear  before  Congress  upon  the  happy  mission  of  the  "  Peace 
Establishment."  In  this  house  the  Commander-in-chief  wrote  his  farewell  to 
the  army  —  a  farewell  and  a  benediction. 


STATE  HOUSE  AND  TREASURY,  ANNAPOLIS,  MD.     Opposite  page  177 

DRAWN  BY  E.  H.  MILLER. 

In  this  ancient  legislative  structure  was  enacted  the  last  scene  of  the  War  of 
Independence  — Washington  resigning  his  commission.  Here,  before  the  august 
body  whose  dignity  he  had  so  religiously  maintained,  whose  authority  he  had 
so  absolutely  revered,  he  with  clean  hands  laid  down  the  command  eight  years 
•  before  conferred  upon  him.  Small  wonder  that  gallant  Maryland  cherishes 
the  old  pile !  The  artist  was  most  happy  to  find  data  representing  the  old  build- 
ings as  they  stood  on  that  eventful  day. 


FAMILY  VAULT,  MOUNT  VERNON Opposite  page  187 

It  was  in  this  vault  that  the  bodies  of  Washington  and  his  wife  were  first 
laid,  and  here  they  remained  till  1837.  It  is  represented  as  it  appeared  when, 
in  1824,  it  was  visited  by  Lafayette. 


lb  l      tc    C  c 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


JANUARY  FIRST. 

1776  The  American  flag,  or  "Flag  of  the  United  Colonies,"  consisting  of 
thirteen  alternate  stripes  of  red  and  white,  field  of  blue  with  crosses  of  St. 
George  and  St.  Andrew,  was  first  unfurled.  Washington  wrote  to  the  president 
of  Congress:  "We  hoisted  the  Union  Flag  in  compliment  to  the  United 
Colonies.  Raised  on  prospect  hill.  Lord  Howe,  hearing  the  tremendous  shout- 
ing, interpreted  it  as  a  demonstration  of  joy  over  the  King's  speech,  which  they 
had  promptly  burned."  A  clause  in  the  Orderly  Book  of  the  same  day  says: 
"This  day  giving  commencement  to  the  new  army,  which  in  every  point  of  view 
is  entirely  continental,  the  General  flatters  himself  that  a  laudable  spirit  of  emu- 
lation will  now  take  place,  and  pervade  the  whole  of  it." 

1777  "  To  Sundry  Exp's  paid  by  myself  at  different  times  &  places  in  passing 
from  the  White  plains,  by  the  way  of  the  Kings  ferry  to  Fort  Lee,  and  afterward  on 
the  Retreat  of  the  Army  thro7  the  Jerseys  into  Pennsylvania,  &  while  there,  £126.4.3. 
To  secret  services  since  the  Army  left  Cambridge  in  April  —  while  it  lay  at  New 
York — and  during  its  retreat  as  above,  1050  dollars  &  £284."  Washington's 
Account  with  the  U.  8.  Government. 

1800  In  Philadelphia  a  "Lodge  of  Sorrow"  was  held  in  memory  of  their 
beloved  brother  George  Washington  by  L'Amenite,  a  French  lodge  of  Ancient 
York  Masons.  Simon  Chaudron  delivered  an  address  which  was  published  in 
French  and  English  and  widely  circulated. 


"He  may  be  described  as  being  straight  as  an  Indian,  measuring  six  feet  two  inches  in  his 
stockings,  and  weighing  175  pounds — when  he  took  his  seat  in  the  H.  of  B.  1759.  His  frame  is 
padded  with  well  developed  muscle  indicating  great  strength.  His  bones  and  joints  are  large, 
as  are  his  feet  and  hands.  He  is  wide  shouldered,  but  has  not  a  deep  or  round  chest ; — is  neat 
waisted,  but  is  broad  across  the  hips,  and  has  rather  long  legs  and  arms.  His  head  is  well  shaped 
though  not  large,  but  is  gracefully  poised,  on  a  superb  neck,  a  large  and  straight  rather  than  a  prom- 
inent nose ;  blue-gray  penetrating  eyes ;  which  were  widely  separated  and  overhung  by  heavy 
brows.  His  face  is  rather  long  than  broad,  with  high  round  cheek  bones,  and  terminates  in  a 
good  firm  chin.  He  had  a  clear  though  rather  colorless  pale  skin,  which  burns  with  the  sun. 
A  pleasing,  benevolent,  though  a  commanding  countenance,  dark  brown  hair,  which  he  wears  in 
a  cue.  His  mouth  is  large  and  generally  firmly  closed,  but  which  from  time  to  time  discloses 
some  defective  teeth.  His  features  are  regular  and  placid,  with  all  the  muscles  of  his  face  un- 
der perfect  control."  Captain  George  Mercer  ( Virginia). 

1 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


JANUARY  SECOND. 


1778  General  Washington  presented  to  Congress  in  terms  of  high  com- 
mendation the  names  of  two  volunteer  French  officers,  Count  de  Fleury  and 
Chevalier  Duplessis,  asking  that  commissions  be  given  them  "for  gallant  con- 
duct at  Germantown  and  Brandywine." 

1782  General  and  Mrs.  Washington  and  a  distinguished  party,  as  the  guests 
of  the  French  minister,  Marquis  de  la  Luzerne,  at  the  Southwark  Theater,  Phila- 
delphia, witnessed  the  presentation  of  "  Eugenie,"  a  French  comedy,  by  Beaumar- 
chais.  An  apotheosis  of  the  beloved  Commander  was  exquisitely  introduced,  with 
the  inscription,  "  Washington,  the  pride  of  his  country  and  terror  of  Britain." 

1788    The  State  of  Georgia  adopted  the  Federal  Constitution. 

1794  President  Washington  sent  to  the  Senate  thenames  of  Edmund  Randolph, 
to  succeed  Jefferson  as  Secretary  of  State ;  Timothy  Pickering,  to  follow  Knox  as 
Secretary  of  War ;  James  McHenry,  as  Secretary  of  the  Navy ;  and  William 
Bradford  of  Pennsylvania,  to  replace  Randolph  as  Attorney-General.  These  ap- 
pointments were  promptly  confirmed. 


"  When  we  look  at  Washington,  we  are  at  once  struck  by  seeing  how  in  him,  who  represented 
as  a  military  man  the  force  of  the  new  ideas  which  were  at  work,  we  have  also  as  a  thinker,  as 
a  statesman  and  political  philosopher,  the  clearest  example  of  the  reason  of  which  that  force 
was  the  expression.  Often  the  two  are  disunited.  One  man  does  the  thinking,  another  man 
does  the  fighting.  One  man  develops  the  idea  in  the  closet,  and  another  makes  it  forcible  in  the 
field.    Rarely  have  the  two  so  met  in  one  man." 

Phillips  Brooks,  D.  D.,  Bishop  of  Massachusetts. 

JANUARY  THIRD. 

1777  The  battle  of  Princeton  was  this  day  fought.  The  Commander-in-chief, 
"  leaving  his  camp  fires  burning"  to  deceive  the  enemy,  led  his  troops  during  the 
night  "by  a  round-about  road,"  and  surprised  and  attacked  the  British,  gaining 
one  of  the  most  brilliant  and  important  victories  of  the  struggle  for  Indepen- 
dence. This  battle  secured  for  the  General  of  the  New  World  the  admiration 
of  the  great  military  minds  of  Europe. 

1780  The  camp  at  Morristown  was  buried  in  a  severe  snow-storm  —  some 
places  fully  six  feet.  The  suffering  for  food  and  clothing  by  the  patriot  army 
was  a  matter  of  deep  trouble  and  anxiety  to  their  General.  "To  the  magistrates 
of  New  Jersey  he  wrote :  "  The  present  situation  of  the  army,  with  respect  to 
provisions,  is  the  most  distressing  of  any  we  have  experienced  since  the  begin- 
ning of  the  war.  For  a  fortnight  past  the  troops,  both  officers  and  men,  have 
been  almost  perishing  for  want." 


"The  name  of  Washington  is  inseparably  linked  with  a  memorable  epoch.  He  adorned 
this  epoch  by  his  talents  and  the  nobility  of  his  character,  and  with  virtues  that  even  envy 
dared  not  assail.  History  affords  few  examples  of  such  renown.  Great  from  the  outset  of  his 
career,  patriotic  before  his  country  became  a  nation,  despite  the  passions  and  political  resent- 
ment that  desired  to  check  his  career,  his  fame  remained  imperishable.  His  public  actions  and 
unassuming  grandeur  in  private  life  were  living  examples  of  courage,  wisdom,  and  usefulness." 

Talleyrand  (France). 


GEOEGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


JANUARY  FOURTH. 


1758  The  hardships  of  frontier  campaigns  had  so  reduced  Washington  that 
his  friends  became  seriously  alarmed.  Colonel  George  Mason  of  Gunston  Hall 
wrote  him  at  Mount  Vernon :  "A  gentleman  of  your  station  owes  the  care  of 
his  health  and  his  life  not  only  to  himself  and  his  friends,  but  to  his  country." 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief  wrote  from  Cambridge  to  the  president  of 
Congress,  John  Hancock,  at  Baltimore:  "It  is  not  in  the  pages  of  history, 
perhaps,  to  furnish  a  case  like  ours.  To  maintain  a  post,  within  musket-shot  of 
the  enemy,  for  six  months  together  (without  powder),  and  at  the  same  time  to 
disband  one  army  and  recruit  another,  within  that  distance  of  twenty  odd 
British  regiments,  is  more;  probably,  than  was  ever  attempted." 

1796  President  Washington  sent  to  Congress  "The  Colors  of  France," 
presented  to  him  as  Chief  Executive  of  the  United  States  through  Citizen  Adet, 
French  Ambassador.  He  also  sent  to  Congress  the  address  of  the  Ambassa- 
dor, with  his  reply.  Congress  ordered  these  colors  preserved  in  the  archives  of 
the  Department  of  State. 


"Born,  sir,  in  a  land  of  liberty,  having  early  learned  its  value,  having  engaged  in  a  perilous 
conflict  to  defend  it ;  having,  in  a  word,  devoted  the  best  years  of  my  life  to  secure  its  perma- 
nent establishment  in  my  own  country;  my  anxious  recollections,  my  sympathetic  feelings,  and 
my  best  wishes,  are  irresistibly  attracted  whensoever  in  any  country  I  see  an  oppressed  nation 
unfurl  the  banner  of  freedom."  Washington  to  Pierre  Auguste  Adet. 

JANUARY  FIFTH. 

1777  General  Washington,  pushing  his  troops  on  to  Morristown  after 
the  battle,  reported  —  "The  rear  of  the  enemy's  army  lying  not  more  than  six 
miles  from  Princeton  was  up  with  us  before  our  pursuit  was  over,  but  as  I  had 
the  precaution  to  destroy  the  bridge  over  Stony  Brook,  they  were  so  long 
retarded  there  as  to  give  us  time  to  move  off  in  good  order  for  this  place." 
Colonel  Leslie,  a  British  officer  who  fell  at  Princeton,  was  by  the  order  of  Wash- 
ington buried  with  the  honors  of  war.  During  this  engagement  the  American 
General  had  expressed  his  admiration  of  the  way  "  those  noble  fellows  fight." 

1778  The  Commander-in-chief  set  before  Congress  the  urgent  needs  of  his 
soldiers,  asking  that  body  to  attend  to  certain  abuses  in  the  Com'y.  Dep't.,  saying, 
* '  The  army  has  been  fed  from  hand  to  mouth  ever  since  Mr.  Trumbull  left."  He 
also  expressed  gratitude  for  the  "  one  month's  extraordinary  pay  voted  by  Con- 
gress for  their  soldierly  patience,  fidelity  and  zeal  in  the  cause  of  their  country." 

1785  Benjamin  Harrison  wrote  Washington  "that  the  Assembly,  with- 
out a  dissenting  voice,  complimented  you  with  50  shares  in  the  Potomac  Com- 
pany, and  100  in  the  James  River  Company.  As  this  compliment  is  intended 
by  your  Country  in  commemoration  of  vour  assiduous  care  to  promote  her 
interests,  I  hope  you  will  have  no  scruples  in  accepting  the  present,  and  thereby 
gratifying  them  in  their  most  earnest  wishes." 


"  Washington  has  shown  himself  both  a  Fabius  and  a  Camillus.     His  march  through  our 
lines  is  acknowledged  to  have  been  a  prodigy  of  generalship."  Horace  Walpole  {England). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


JANUARY   SIXTH. 


1759  Colonel  Washington  and  Mrs.  Martha  Dandridge  Custis  were  married 
at  the  bride's  residence,  "  Whitehouse,"  New  Kent  County,  Virginia,  by  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Mossum,  rector  of  St.  Peter's.  The  ceremony  took  place  on  Saturday  at 
high  noon.  The  bride  was  attired  in  a  heavy  brocaded  silk  interwoven  with 
silver  threads ;  embroidered  satin  petticoat,  high-heeled  satin  shoes  with  buckles 
of  brilliants,  point  lace  ruffles.  Her  ornaments  were  pearls,  necklace,  earrings 
and  bracelets.  The  bridegroom  appeared  in  citizen's  dress  of  blue  cloth,  the 
coat  lined  with  red  silk,  and  ornamented  with  silver  trimmings,  and  the  waist- 
coat of  embroidered  white  satin.  The  shoe  and  knee  buckles  were  of  gold. 
His  hair  was  powdered,  and  at  his  side  hung  a  dress  sword. 

1791     The  President,  at  South wark  Theater,  Philadelphia,  saw  Dunlap's 

glay  "  The  Poor  Soldier."  Two  nights  previous  he  had  seen  "  The  School  for 
candal."  The  reception  of  the  Executive  at  the  theater  was  an  occasion  of 
ceremony.  A  guard  was  placed  at  each  door,  and  four  soldiers  were  in  the  gal- 
lery. The  manager,  bearing  two  lighted  candles,  in  tall  silver  candlesticks, 
stood  at  the  box  door  until  the  illustrious  guest  was  seated. 


"  Dignity  with  ease  and  complacency,  the  gentleman  and  soldier  look  agreeably  blended  in 
him.     Modesty  marks  every  line  and  feature  of  his  face.     These  lines  of  Dryden  instantly  oc- 

curr  *  Mark  this  majestic  fabric,  he  's  a  temple 

Sacred  by  birth  and  built  by  hands  divine : 
His  soul  ?s  the  deity  that  lodges  there ; 
Nor  is  the  pile  unworthy  of  the  god." 

Abigail  Adams  (Massachusetts),  1775. 

JANUARY  SEVENTH. 

1754  Major  Washington  reached  Wills  Creek  from  Fort  Le  Bceuf,  having 
been  two  months  in  the  Wilderness  exposed  to  great  peril.  During  this  period 
he  had  penetrated  several  hundred  miles  of  primeval  forest,  encountered  treach- 
erous savages,  propitiated  powerful  chiefs,  and  given  abundant  evidence  of  abil- 
ity, courage,  and  diplomacy.  He  had  now  entered  a  school  of  severe  training 
preparing  him  for  a  most  eventful  career. 

1759  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Washington  attended  morning  service  at  St.  Peter's 
Church,  New  Kent  County,  Virginia.  They  came  in  bridal  state,  coach  and  four, 
and  a  train  of  wedding  guests,  among  whom  were  Speaker  John  Robinson  and 
members  of  the  House  of  Burgesses. 

1776  On  Monday  evening,  at  the  Craigie  House,  Mrs.  Washington,  assisted 
by  Mrs.  John  Parke  Custis,  received  the  ladies  of  the  army,  and  of  the  city  of 
Cambridge,  unostentatiously  celebrating  the  seventeenth  anniversary  of  her  mar- 
riage. We  learn  from  Dorothy  Dudley's  quaint  record  of  this  social  event  that 
the  wife  of  the  General  made  a  happy  impression.  Martha  Washington  was 
a  remarkable  woman.  Suddenly  placed  in  a  position  of  eminence,  she  was  so 
well  poised  that  she  never  challenged  criticism,  nor  called  forth  the  darts  of  envy. 


"  As  long  as  human  hearts  shall  anywhere  pant,  or  human  tongue  shall  anywhere  plead,  for  a 
true,  rational  constitutional  liberty,  those  hearts  shall  enshrine  the  memory,  and  those  tongues 
shall  prolong  the  fame,  of  George  Washington."  Bobert  C.  Winthrop  (Massachusetts). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


JANUARY  EIGHTH. 


1783  General  Washington  wrote  Robert  R.  Livingston  from  Newburg,  com- 
menting upon  the  indirect  way  our  independence  had  been  acknowledged.  "  The 
King,  I  dare  say,  felt  some  severe  pangs  at  the  time  he  put  his  hand  to  the  Let- 
ters Patent.  It  is  not  however  less  efficacious  or  pleasing  on  that  account,  and 
breaking  the  Ice  is  a  great  point  gained.  What  office  is  Mr.  Jefferson  appointed 
to,  that  he  has,  you  say,  lately  accepted!  If  it  is  that  of  Commissioner  of 
Peace,  I  hope  he  will  arrive  too  late  to  have  any  hand  in  it." 

1790  President  Washington  delivered  his  first  annual  address  to  Congress 
at  New  York.  He  came  in  his  coach  drawn  by  four  horses,  preceded  by  his  sec- 
retaries, Colonel  Humphreys  and  Major  Jackson,  on  horseback ;  followed  by  his 
chariot  containing  other  members  of  the  official  household.  He  was  received  by 
the  door-keeper,  and  escorted  to  the  senate-chamber,  where  both  houses  were  as- 
sembled. He  urged  Congress  to  remember,  "  That  to  be  prepared  for  war  is  one 
of  the  most  effectual  means  of  preserving  peace."  He  also  congratulated  the 
country  upon  the  recent  accession  to  the  Union  of  the  important  State  of  North 
Carolina,  official  information  having  been  received  of  her  adoption  of  the  Consti- 
tution, November  21,  1789. 


"  Washington  illustrated  and  adorned  the  civilization  of  Christianity,  and  furnished  an  exam- 
ple of  the  wisdom  and  perfection  of  its  teachings  which  the  subtlest  arguments  of  its  enemies 
cannot  impeach.  That  one  grand,  rounded  life,  full-orbed  with  intellectual  and  moral  glory,  is 
worth,  as  the  product  of  Christianity,  more  than  all  the  dogmas  of  all  the  teachers ! " 

Zebulon  B.  Vance  {North  Carolina). 

JANUARY  NINTH. 

1780  General  Washington  at  Morristown,  writing  to  the  gallant  General 
Irvine,  said:  "Circumstanced  as  things  are,  men  half  starved,  imperfectly 
clothed,  riotous,  and  robbing  the  country  people  of  their  subsistence  from  sheer 
necessity,  I  think  it  scarcely  possible  to  embrace  any  moment,  however  favora- 
ble in  other  respects,  for  visiting  the  enemy  on  Staten  Island ;  and  yet  if  this 
frost  should  have  made  a  firm  and  solid  bridge  between  them  and  us  I  should 
be  unwilling,  indeed  I  cannot  relinquish  the  idea  of  attempting  it." 

1782  From  Philadelphia  Washington  wrote  to  Lafayette,  in  Paris :  "  The 
enemy  have  evacuated  all  their  posts  in  South  Carolina,  and  concentrated  their 
whole  force  in  Charleston.  Wilmington  is  also  evacuated,  and  North  Carolina 
is  freed  from  its  enemies.  The  disaffected  part  of  the  State  are  suing  for  mercy, 
and  executing,  it  is  said,  some  of  their  leaders  for  having  misguided  them." 

1788     The  State  of  Connecticut  adopted  the  Federal  Constitution. 

1790  President  Washington  said  to  that  gifted  Scotchwoman  Mrs.  Catha- 
rine Macaulay  Graham :  "  In  our  progress  towards  political  happiness  my  station 
is  new,  and,  if  I  may  use  the  expression,  I  walk  on  untrodden  ground.  There  is 
scarcely  any  part  of  my  conduct  which  may  not  therefore  be  drawn  into  prece- 
dent. .  .  .  That  the  government,  though  not  actually  perfect,  is  one  of  the  best 
in  the  world,  I  have  little  doubt." 


"  George  Washington  was  a  star  of  the  first  magnitude,  with  an  orbit  which  is  not  circum- 
scribed according  to  human  intelligence.  Whether  as  soldier  or  civilian,  he  is  '  pinnacled  dim 
in  the  intense  inane,'  and  has  no  companion  in  glory!"  Samuel  Sullivan  Cox  (Ohio). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


JANUARY  TENTH. 


1778  Congress  appointed  Francis  Dana,  John  Harvie,  Joseph  Reed,  Nathaniel 
Folsom,  Charles  Carroll,  and  Gouverneur  Morris  to  visit  Valley  Forge,  to  confer 
with  Washington,  and  "  mature  a  new  system  of  arrangements  for  the  adminis- 
tration of  the  army."  Their  sessions  were  held  in  "  Moore  Hall,"  a  country-seat 
about  three  miles  from  headquarters j  and  they  remained  three  months  devising 
plans,  and  submitted  a  report  to  Congress  which  was  approved. 

1783  From  Newburg  Washington  wrote  Colonel  Tench  Tilghman:  "Mrs. 
Washington  has  received  the  shoes  you  ordered  for  her,  and  thanks  you  for  your 
attention  to  her  request.  I  receive  with  great  sensibility  and  pleasure  your  as- 
surance of  affection  and  regard.  It  would  be  but  a  renewal  of  what  I  have  often 
repeated  to  you,  there  are  few  men  in  the  world  to  whom  I  am  more  attached  by 
inclination  than  I  am  to  you." 

1788  General  Washington,  writing  to  Marquis  de  Lafayette  from  Mount 
Vernon,  said  regarding  the  intention  of  Catharine,  Empress  of  Russia,  to  gather 
about  her  scholars  for  the  purpose  of  issuing  a  "  Universal  Dictionary  of  Lan- 
guages": "To  know  the  affinity  of  tongues,  seems  to  be  one  step  towards  pro- 
moting the  affinity  of  nations." 


"  I  have  formed  as  high  an  opinion  of  the  powers  of  his  mind,  his  moderation,  his  patriotism 
and  his  virtues,  as  I  had  before  conceived  from  common  report,  of  his  military  talent,  and  of 
the  incalculable  services  which  he  has  rendered  his  country."  Gerard,  French  Minister. 

JANUARY  ELEVENTH. 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief  in  his  appeal  for  active  measures  to  Congress, 
then  sitting  in  Baltimore,  said:  "Experience  teaches  us  it  is  much  easier  to 
prevent  an  enemy  from  posting  themselves  than  to  dislodge  them  after  they  have 
possession." 

1781  General  Washington  reported  to  Congress:  "A  mutiny  was  excited  by 
the  non-commissioned  officers  and  privates  of  the  Pennsylvania  line,  which  soon 
became  so  universal  as  to  defy  all  opposition.  The  only  favorable  circumstance 
is  their  not  having  attempted  to  make  a  push  for  the  enemy."  A  council  of 
war  to  consider  this  calamity  was  held  at  General  Heath's  headquarters,  West 
Point,  when  all  minds  were  greatly  relieved  by  the  following  despatch : 

"I,  the  President  of  the  Council  of  Pennsylvania,  and  a  Committee  of  Congress  made  this 
day  a  satisfactory  agreement  with  the  mutinied  troops  at  Trenton."  Joseph  Reed. 

1796  Washington  commented  upon  the  personal  attacks  made  on  him,  say- 
ing, "  Mr.  Paine's  letter  to  me,  printed  in  this  citv,  is  disseminated  with  great 
industry  " :  of  William  Cobbett,  alias  Peter  Porcupine,  he  said :  "  Making  allow- 
ances for  the  asperity  of  an  Englishman,  for  some  of  his  strong  and  coarse  expres- 
sions, and  a  want  of  official  information  of  many  facts,  it  is  not  a  bad  thing." 


"  A  character  of  virtues,  so  happily  tempered  by  one  another  and  so  wholly  unalloyed  by  any 
vices,  as  that  of  Washington,  is  hardly  to  be  found  on  the  pages  of  history.  For  him  it  has  been 
reserved  to  run  the  race  of  glory,  without  experiencing  the  smallest  interruption  to  the  brilliancy 
of  his  career."  Charles  James  Fox  {England). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


JANUARY  TWELFTH. 


1777  The  gallant  General  Hugh  Mercer,  of  Virginia,  who  was  mortally 
wounded  at  Princeton,  died  at  Clarke's  farm-house  near  the  battle-field.  He  ex- 
pired in  the  arms  of  his  aide-de-camp,  Major  Howell  Lewis,  who  under  a  flag  of 
truce  had  been  sent  to  the  wounded  officer,  by  his  uncle  the  Commander-in-chief. 

1780  In  council  of  war  at  Morristown,  Washington  announced  his  deter- 
mination to  take  advantage  of  the  firm  ice  and  surprise  the  enemy  on  Staten 
Island.  Lord  Stirling  was  given  the  command,  five  hundred  sleighs  were  ordered, 
and  the  date  fixed  for  the  attack.  Tories  in  the  neighborhood  reported  the  ex- 
pedition, and  it  had  to  be  abandoned. 

1797  Being  anxious  to  discover  the  source  of  the  seven  "  Spurious  letters," 
which  had  again  been  circulated,  President  Washington  wrote  to  Benjamin 
Walker,  Esq.,  to  make  every  effort  to  trace  them  to  their  source.  He  said  in 
conclusion :  u  I  offer  to  you  and  Mrs.  Walker  the  compliments  of  the  season,  and 
you  will  do  me  the  justice  to  believe,  they  are  warmer  than  the  weather." 


"George  Washington  has  no  superior.  Humanity  is  proud  of  his  name.  He  seems  to  have 
approached  as  near  perfection  as  any  man  who  ever  lived.  In  his  wonderful  career  we  become 
familiar  with  all  the  struggles  of  the  American  Revolution.  With  a  feeble  soldiery,  called  from  a 
population  of  less  than  three  millions  of  people,  he  baffled  all  efforts  of  the  fleets  and  armies  of 
Great  Britain,  the  most  powerful  empire  upon  this  globe."  Rev.  John  S.  C.  Abbott. 

JANUARY  THIRTEENTH. 

1756  Colonel  Washington  placed  before  Governor  Dinwiddie  the  complica- 
tions  arising  from  officers  in  the  regular  service  refusing  to  obey  the  orders  of 
their  superiors  in  the  militia.  This  resulted  in  Washington,  at  the  request  of  the 
Virginia  officers,  going  to  Boston  for  the  purpose  of  laying  the  matter  before 
Governor  Shirley,  the  commander-in-chief  of  the  Colonial  forces. 

1777  General  Washington  wrote  to  General  Lord  Howe :  "lam  again  under 
the  necessity  of  remonstrating  to  you  upon  the  treatment  which  our  prisoners 
continue  to  receive  in  New  York.  Those,  who  have  lately  been  sent  out,  give  the 
most  shocking  account  of  their  barbarous  usage,  which  their  miserable  emaciated 
countenances  confirm.  Most  of  the  prisoners  who  have  returned  home,  have  in- 
formed me  that  they  were  offered  better  treatment,  provided  they  would  enlist 
into  your  service.  This,"  he  added,  with  the  dignity  of  a  veteran  commander, 
" I  believe,  is  unprecedented" 

1791  The  President  wrote  Governor  Beverly  Randolph  in  regard  to  his  per- 
sonal indorsement  of  the  Virginia  Legislature  establishing  a  certain  woolen  manu- 
factory:  "  I  am  told  that  it  is  felony  to  export  the  machines,  which  it  is  probable 
the  artist  contemplates  to  bring  with  him,  and  it  certainly  would  not  carry  an 
aspect  very  favorable  to  the  dignity  of  the  United  States  for  the  President,  in  a 
clandestine  manner,  to  entice  the  subjects  of  another  nation  to  violate  its  laws.'' 


"  Your  Hero  (Washington)  without  the  lictor  of  Cincinnatus  was  obeyed,  conquers,  and  re- 
tires without  the  foul  stain  of  blood."  Dr.  Lettsom  (London),  of  the  Society  of  Friends. 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


JANUARY  FOURTEENTH. 


1777  The  Commander-in-chief  instructed  his  secretary,  that  "particular 
attention  should  be  given  to  the  surgeon  sent  by  Lord  Cornwallis  to  take  charge 
of  their  wounded  at  Princeton.  He  will  more  than  probably  convey  a  true 
account  of  your  numbers,  which  ought  to  be  a  good  deal  magnified."  General 
Mercer's  funeral  took  place  in  Philadelphia.  This  brilliant  patriot  was  followed 
to  his  tomb  by  thousands,  foes  vying  with  friends  in  rendering  him  homage. 

1783  Washington  from  Newburg  gave  the  following  advice  to  his  nephew 
Bushrod,  afterward  associate  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court :  "  Remember  that 
it  is  not  the  mere  study  of  the  law,  but  to  become  eminent  in  the  profession  of 
it,  which  is  to  yield  honor  and  profit.  The  first  was  your  choice ;  let  the  second 
be  your  ambition,  and  that  dissipation  is  incompatible  with  both  j  that  the  com- 
pany in  which  you  will  improve  most,  will  be  least  expensive  to  you  j  yet  I  am 
not  such  a  stoic  as  to  suppose  that  you  should  always  be  in  company  with  Sena- 
tors and  philosophers;  but  of  the  young  and  juvenile  kind  let  me  advise  you  to 
be  choice.  It  is  easy  to  make  acquaintances  but  very  difficult  to  shake  them  off. 
Be  courteous  to  all  but  intimate  with  few." 


"  There  is  no  nation  so  lost  to  a  sense  of  humanity  as  not  to  revere  his  name.  The  Heathen 
will  drop  a  tear  to  his  memory.  The  tawny  tribes  beyond  the  western  mountains  will  pierce 
the  heavens  with  their  cry  of  grief,  and  bow  with  reverence  to  every  portrait  which  bears  the 
name  of  Washington."  Timothy  Alden  {New  Hampshire),  1800. 

JANUARY  FIFTEENTH. 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief,  discouraged  by  delays  and  sectional  strife, 
said:  "I  have  often  thought  how  much  happier  I  should  have  been,  if,  instead  of 
accepting  the  command  under  such  circumstances,  I  had  taken  my  musket  on 
my  shoulder  and  entered  the  ranks,  or  if  I  could  have  justified  the  measure  to 
posterity,  and  my  own  conscience,  had  retired  to  the  back  country  and  lived  in 
a  wigwam." 

1781  General  Washington  wrote  from  New  "Windsor  to  Mrs.  Sarah  Bache 
thanking  her,  and  the  ladies  of  "The  Philadelphia  Association,"  for  soldiers' 
clothing,  one  item  of  which  was  two  thousand  and  five  shirts.  He  said:  "The 
value  of  the  donation  will  be  greatly  enhanced  by  a  consideration  of  the  hands 
by  which  it  was  made  and  presented.  Amidst  all  the  distresses  and  sufferings 
of  the  army,  from  whatever  sources  they  have  arisen,  it  must  be  a  consolation  to 
our  virtuous  countrywomen,  that  they  have  never  withheld  their  most  zealous 
efforts  to  support  the  cause."  Mrs.  Sarah  Franklin  Bache  was  associated  in 
patriotic  charity  with  the  estimable  and  lamented  Esther  Reed,  wife  of  Colonel 
Joseph  Reed,  so  long  secretary  of  Washington. 


"My  fine  crabtree  walking-stick,  with  a  gold  head  curiously  wrought  in  the  form  of  the  cap 
of  Liberty,  I  give  to  my  friend  and  the  friend  of  mankind,  General  Washington.  If  it  were  a 
sceptre  he  has  merited  it ;  and  would  become  it.  It  was  a  present  to  me  from  that  excellent 
woman  Madame  De  Forbach — the  Dowager  Duchess  of  Deux  Ponts,  connected  with  some 
verses  which  should  go  with  it."  Franklin's  Will— Codicil. 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


JANUARY   SIXTEENTH. 


1775  In  Washington's  diary  this  entry  is  made :  "  Went  up  to  Alexandria 
to  a  review  of  the  Independent  Company,  and  to  choose  a  Com^f  for  the  county 
of  Fairf ax."  Ten  days  later  is  recorded,  "  Went  up  to  Alexandria  to  an  intended 
meeting  of  the  Trustee's,  none  met,  stayed  in  Alexandria  al-night-&  bo'*  a  parcel 
of  servants." 

1791  The  President  wrote  to  Edward  Rutledge  that,  soon  after  the  adjourn- 
ment of  Congress  on  March  4th,  "I  shall  most  assuredly  indulge  myself  in  a 
tour  through  the  Southern  States.  It  was  among  my  first  determinations  when 
I  entered  upon  the  duties  of  my  present  station  to  visit  every  part  of  the  United 
States  in  the  course  of  my  administration  of  the  Government,  provided  my 
health  and  circumstances  would  admit  of  it." 

1795  President  Washington  wrote  a  long  letter  to  his  adopted  daughter, 
Nellie  Parke  Custis,  who  was  on  a  visit  to  her  mother,  Mrs.  David  Stuart  of  Vir- 
ginia, in  reply  to  a  description  of  her  first  ball,  which  embraced  some  tender 
confidences:  "Love  is  said  to  be  an  involuntary  passion,  and  it  is  therefore  con- 
tended, that  it  cannot  be  resisted.  This  is  true  in  part  only,  for  like  all  things 
else ;  when  nourished  and  supplied  plentifully  with  aliment,  it  is  rapid  in  its 
progress ;  but  let  these  be  withdrawn,  it  may  be  stifled  in  its  birth,  or  much 
stunted  in  its  growth." 


"Never  perhaps  was  the  memory  of  man  so  honored;  for  never  had  there  lived  before  a 
public  man  whose  virtues  only  can  be  remembered." 

Joseph  Gales  {National  Intelligencer,  Washington). 

JANUARY   SEVENTEENTH. 

1754  Major  Washington  arrived  at  Williamsburg,  and  from  rough  notes, 
taken  in  the  Wilderness,  wrote  his  entire  "Journal  to  the  Ohio."  This  re- 
markable record,  giving  in  detail  his  mission  to  Fort  le  Bceuf,  was  read  the  fol- 
lowing day  before  the  Governor  and  Council  in  obedience  to  the  command  of 
Dinwiddie,  who  sent  printed  copies  to  the  "  Lords  of  the  Board  of  Trade,  Lon- 
don," and  to  the  governors  of  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania.  The  young  officer 
wrote  his  brother:  "I  traveled  ten  days  through  one  continued  Series  of  cold  wet 
Weather  stopping  at  Belvoir  one  day  to  take  necessary  Rest." 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief  at  Cambridge,  after  much  consideration,  pre- 
pared minute  instructions  regulating  pay  of  the  army.  They  were  delivered 
the  following  day  to  General  Sullivan  for  his  guidance  and  immediate  use. 
In  council  of  war  it  was  determined  that  the  General  should  request  of  the 
neighboring  colonies  thirteen  regiments  of  militia,  that  would  serve  until  April 
first,  to  justify  an  attack  on  Boston. 

1779  Mrs.  Sarah  Bache  wrote  to  her  father  Benjamin  Franklin  in  Paris,  that 
at  a  party  given  on  his  birthday  (Jan.  6th,  O.  S.)  by  Mr.  Samuel  Powel  of 
Philadelphia,  she  had  danced  with  General  Washington,  who  said  it  was  also 
their  anniversary,  as  he  and  Mrs.  Washington  had  been  married  twenty  vears 
that  day  (N.  S.). 

u  There  were  men  in  his  day  who  were  his  superior  in  some  things  ;  but,  taken  as  a  whole, 
he  had  no  superior  and  no  equal.  The  age  needed  the  man,  and  the  man  came  to  meet  the 
wants  of  the  age."  The  Independent  (New  York). 


10  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

JANUARY  EIGHTEENTH. 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief,  upon  receiving  the  melancholy  intelligence 
of  the  fall  of  "  the  brave  Montgomery,"  and  the  repulse  of  our  troops  in  their 
attempt  against  the  city  of  Quebec,  called  a  council  of  general  officers  of  the 
army  "  to  determine  upon  the  necessary  steps  to  be  taken  upon  the  alarming 
occasion."  John  Adams,  then  at  Watertown,  was  present  at  Washington's  re- 
quest. 

1777  The  Commander-in-chief  at  Morristown,  in  reviewing  the  situation  to 
General  Schuyler,  said:  "The  enemy,  by  two  lucky  strokes  at  Trenton  and 
Princeton,  have  been  obliged  to  abandon  every  part  of  New  Jersey,  except  Bruns- 
wick and  Amboy  s  I  hope  by  preventing  them  from  sending  their  foraging  par- 
ties to  any  great  distance  to  reduce  them  to  the  utmost  distress,  in  the  course  of 
this  Winter." 

1779  General  Washington  attended  the  banquet  given  by  Congress  at  Phila- 
delphia, in  celebration  of  the  French  alliance.  During  this  visit,  at  the  request 
of  the  Supreme  Executive  Council  of  Pennsylvania,  he  sat  to  Captain  Charles 
Wilson  Peale  for  a  portrait.  This  picture  when  finished  was  hung  in  the  coun- 
cil-chamber, and  two  years  afterward  a  mob  destroyed  it  and  other  valuable 
property  of  the  city. 


u  We  have  not  been  unattentive  observers  of  the  career  of  this  illustrious  man,  from  the 
period  of  his  assuming  command  of  the  revolutionary  army  of  America  ;  and  we  do  not  hesitate 
to  pronounce  him  the  greatest  character  in  modern  times ;  and  perhaps,  with  all  the  embellish- 
ments of  fabulous  and  partial  historians,  there  is  scarcely  one  in  the  annals  of  antiquity  that  will 
bear  a  comparison."  Marquis  Louis  de  Fontaines  (Temple  of  Mars,  Paris),  1800. 

JANUARY  NINETEENTH. 

1784  Prom  the  close  of  the  war  to  the  meeting  of  the  Constitutional  Con- 
vention was  a  crucial  period.  Washington's  anxiety  was  great ;  but  for  every 
one  he  had  a  word  of  comfort.  To  Benjamin  Harrison  he  wrote :  "  I  believe 
all  things  will  come  right  at  last,  but  like  a  young  heir,  come  a  little  prema- 
turely to  a  large  inheritance,  we  shall  wanton  and  run  riot  until  we  have  brought 
our  reputation  to  the  brink  of  ruin." 

1791  In  the  President's  address  to  the  chiefs  of  the  Seneca  Nation,  whom  he 
received  at  the  Executive  Mansion,  Philadelphia,  he  said:  "  You  may,, when  you 
return  from  this  city  to  your  own  country,  mention  to  y^our  nation  my  desire  to 
promote  their  prosperity,  by  teaching  the  use  of  domestic  animals,  and  the  man- 
ner that  the  whites  plough  and  raise  so  much  corn  ;  and  if  it  would  be  agreeable 
to  the  nation  at  large  to  learn  these  arts,  I  will  find  some  means  of  teaching  them 
at  such  places  within  their  country  as  shall  be  agreed  upon." 

1797  The  injuries  sustained  by  American  commerce  in  the  West  Indies, 
from  the  cruisers  and  agents  of  the  French  Republic,  having  produced  an  irritat- 
ing and  unsatisfactory  relation  between  the  two  governments,  the  President  sent 
a  message  to  Congress,  in  which  he  gave  a  careful  review  of  these  transactions, 
and  the  policy  he  wished  this  government  to  pursue. 


"In  my  judgment  the  principles  announced  by  Washington  in  1797  are  the  true  principles 
for  to-day  ;  what  was  wise  then  is  wise  now."  Henry  W.  Hilliard  (Alabama). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  11 

JANUARY  TWENTIETH. 

1784  In  answer  to  the  address  of  "The  Yankee  Club,"  Stewardstown, 
County  Tyrone,  Ireland,  Washington  wrote  from  Mount  Vernon :  "  If  in  the 
course  of  our  successful  contest,  any  good  consequences  have  resulted  to  the  op- 
pressed Kingdom  of  Ireland,  it  will  afford  a  new  source  of  felicitation  to  all  who 
respect  the  interest  of  humanity." 

1793  Washington  wrote  to  Henry  Lee  referring  to  his  reelection  by  a  full 
vote  of  the  Electoral  College  :  "  A  mind  must  be  insensible  indeed,  not  to  be 
gratefully  impressed  by  so  distinguished  and  honorable  a  testimony  of  public 
approbation  and  confidence ;  and  as  I  suffered  my  name  to  be  contemplated  on 
this  occasion,  it  is  more  than  probable  I  should,  for  a  moment,  have  experienced 
chagrin,  if  my  re-election  had  not  been  by  a  pretty  respectable  vote." 

1800  The  last  will  and  testament  of  George  Washington  was  filed  at  the 
Fairfax  County  court,  by  his  executors,  Lawrence  Lewis,  Samuel  and  George 
Steptoe  Washington,  attested  by  Charles  Little  Simms  and  Ludwell  Lee.  A 
clause  in  this  document  reads  as  follows :  "  Upon  the  decease  of  my  wife,  it  is 
my  will  and  desire  that  all  the  slaves  which  I  hold  in  my  own  right  shall  have 
their  freedom." 


11  The  majestic  story  of  that  life  —  whether  told  in  the  pages  of  Marshall  or  Sparks,  of  Irving 
or  Bancroft,  or  through  the  eloquent  utterances  of  Ames  or  Webster,  or  Everett  or  Winthrop, 
or  the  matchless  poetry  of  Lowell,  or  the  verse  of  Byron  —  never  grows  old. 

"We  love  to  hear  again  what  the  great  Frederick  and  Napoleon,  what  Erskine  and  Fox  and 
Brougham  and  Talleyrand  and  Fontanes  and  Guizot  said  of  him,  and  how  crape  enshrouded 
the  standards  of  France,  and  the  flags  upon  the  victorious  ships  of  England  fell  fluttering  to 
half-mast  at  the  tidings  of  his  death.''  Melville  W.  Fuller,  Chief  Justice. 

JANUARY  TWENTY-FIRST. 

1782  The  Commander-in-chief,  for  the  purpose  of  levying  new  troops,  wrote 
a  circular  letter  to  the  States,  saying,  "To  bring  this  war  to  a  speedy  and  happy 
conclusion,  must  be  the  fervent  wish  of  every  lover  of  his  country,  and  sure  I 
am,  that  no  means  are  so  likely  to  effect  these,  as  vigorous  preparations  for  an- 
other campaign." 

1783  General  "Washington  sent  a  letter  of  condolence  to  Lady  Stirling,  upon 
the  sudden  death  of  her  husband,  William  Alexander,  Lord  Stirling,  concluding 
with,  "  It  will  doubtless  be  a  soothing  consideration  in  the  poignancy  of  your 
grief,  to  find  that  the  general  officers  are  going  into  mourning." 

1790  President  Washington,  at  the  Executive  Mansion,  received,  and  enter- 
tained to  their  manifest  delight,  a  delegation  of  Caughnawaga  Indians.  Notwith- 
standing the  demands  of  his  official  life,  his  interest  in  agricultural  matters 
never  flagged,  as  is  indicated  by  a  note  in  his  diary  on  the  following  day — "Called 
in  my  ride  on  the  Baron  de  Poelnitz  to  see  the  operation  of  his  Winlow's  Thrash- 
ing Machine." 


"I  need  not  tell  you  [Richard  Henry  Lee]  who  have  known  so  thoroughly  the  sentiments  of 
my  heart,  that  I  have  a  very  high  regard  for  the  late  Commauder-in-chief  of  our  army ;  and  I 
now  most  sincerely  believe  that,  while  President  Washington  continues  in  the  chair,  he  will  be 
able  to  give  to  all  men  a  satisfactory  reason  for  every  instance  of  his  public  conduct." 

Samuel  Adams  (Massachusetts),  1789. 


12  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

JANUARY  TWENTY-SECOND. 

1776  A  party  of  Caughnawaga  Indians  came  to  visit  the  army  at  Cambridge, 
and  pay  their  respects  to  the  Commander-in-chief.  "  General  Washington  treats 
them  with  great  attention,  and  will  exert  himself  to  make  their  stay  one  of  enjoy- 
ment, that  they  may  go  away  feeling  the  greatness  and  strength  of  our  govern- 
ment and  our  friendship  toward  their  nation." 

1781  The  Commander-in-chief,  Marquis  de  Lafayette,  Count  Dumas,  and 
several  other  French  officers  spent  the  day  at  West  Point.  In  consequence  of 
Lafayette  still  suffering  from  the  wound  received  at  Brandywine,  they  returned 
to  New  Windsor  by  boat,  and  were  in  imminent  danger  from  heavy  ice.  Wash- 
ington, seeing  the  alarm  of  the  boat-master,  took  the  helm  and  said  to  the  offi- 
cers :  "  Courage,  my  friends,  I  am  going  to  conduct  you,  since  it  is  my  duty  to 
hold  the  helm." 

1784  Washington  wrote  to  the  secretary  of  Congress,  Charles  Thomson, 
asking  permission  to  retain  his  original  commission  —  the  only  personal  request 
he  ever  made  of  the  government.  This  valuable  relic  may  be  seen  at  the  head- 
quarters, Morristown,  having  been  presented  by  Frederick  J.  Dreer  to  the  "  Wash- 
ington Association  of  New  Jersey." 


"  True  to  his  country,  true  to  his  trust  in  God,  who  was  his  strength  and  his  refuge  ;  true  to 
training  and  to  himself,  what  more  can  we  add  to  our  tribute  of  grateful  praise  to  God  for  the 
Christian  character  and  consistent  patriotism  of  Washington ." 

William  Stevens  Perry,  Bishop  of  Rhode  Island. 

JANUARY  TWENTY-THIRD. 

1783  "  The  evacuation  of  Charleston  (December  14th)  and  the  total  libera- 
tion of  the  southern  states  from  the  power  of  the  enemy,  are  important  events, 
of  which  the  Commander-in-Chief  has  now  received  official  information.  It  is 
with  heartfelt  satisfaction  he  takes  an  early  opportunity  of  making  it  known, 
and  of  congratulating  the  army  on  the  favorable  prospect  before  us.  The 
enemy  after  more  than  seven  years  war,  and  all  their  boasted  conquests,  being 
now  reduced  to  narrower  limits  and  a  weaker  force  than  they  were  possessed  of 
seven  years  ago." —  Orderly  Booh  (Newburg). 

1790  During  the  winter  the  President  gave  his  former  aide-de-camp,  Colonel 
Trumbull,  a  number  of  sittings  for  a  full-length  portrait.  In  his  diary  he  wrote: 
"  Went  with  Mrs.  Washington  in  the  forenoon  to  see  the  painting  of  Mr.  John 
Trumbull." 

1799  Washington  wrote  to  his  nephew  Colonel  Lawrence  Lewis,  that,  as 
guardian  of  Nellie  Custis,  he  had  been  to  Alexandria  to  authorize  the  issuing  of 
a  license  for  their  marriage.  His  gift  to  the  bride  was  a  harpsichord,  ordered 
from  London  at  a  cost  of  $1,000.  This  quaint  old  instrument  is  now  in  the 
music  room  at  Mount  Vernon,  having  been  presented  by  the  daughter-in-law 
of  Nellie  Custis,  Mrs.  Lorenzo  Lewis  of  Virginia,  to  the  "  Ladies'  Mount  Vernon 
Association  of  the  Union." 


"To  George  Washington,  the  hero,  the  citizen  of  the  new  and  illustrious  liberty;  the  land 
of  Solon,  Themistocles,  and  Pericles,  the  mother  of  ancient  liberty,  sends  this  ancient  stone  as 
a  testimony  of  honor  and  admiration  from  the  Parthenon." 

(Marble  block  sent  by  Greece  for  Washington  Monument.) 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  13 

JANUARY  TWENTY-FOURTH. 

1778  The  Commander-in-chief  urged  upon  Governor  Trumbull  the  impor- 
tance of  having  uniforms  for  his  Connecticut  troops,  suggesting  some  details 
and  thanking  him  for  the  exertion  he  had  made  to  clothe  the  men ;  he  added : 
"  If  you  cannot  get  all  the  clothes  readily  made  up,  I  think  you  had  better  send 
part  of  the  cloth  here,  and  the  regimental  tailors  will  soon  make  them  up,  under 
the  inspection  of  their  officers." 

1791  From  the  Executive  Mansion  at  Philadelphia,  President  Washington 
issued  a  proclamation  to  the  commissioners  appointed  by  Congress — Thomas 
Johnson  of  Maryland,  Daniel  Carroll  of  Maryland,  and  David  Stuart  of  Virginia — 
to  begin  the  survey  of  the  "Federal  Territory,  designated  for  the  permanent 
Seat  of  Government." 

1795  To  Edmund  Pendleton  of  Virginia,  the  eminent  jurist,  the  President 
wrote:  "The  madness  of  the  European  powers,  and  the  calamitous  situation  into 
which  all  of  them  are  thrown  by  the  present  ruinous  war,  ought  to  be  a  serious 
warning  to  us  to  avoid  a  similar  catastrophe.  What  will  be  the  result  of  Mr. 
Jay's  mission  is  more  than  I  am  able  to  disclose.  Charged  as  he  has'been  with 
all  matters  in  dispute  between  the  two  countries,  there  would  be  a  large  field  of 
discussion." 


"His  conduct  has  always  been  so  uniformly  manly,  honorable,  just,  patriotic  and  disinter- 
ested, that  his  greatest  enemies  cannot  fix  on  any  one  trait  of  his  character  that  deserves  the 
least  censure."  Henry  Wansey  {England). 

JANUARY  TWENTY-FIFTH. 

1776  The  Caughnawaga  sachems,  squaws,  and  papooses  left  Cambridge.  The 
evening  before  they  had  dined  at  Colonel  Mifflin's  with  General  Washington. 
He,  perfectly  understanding  the  Indian  character,  awed  them  greatly  by  intro- 
ducing them  with  impressive  ceremony  to  John  Adams,  "  a  chief  of  the  Great 
Council  Fire  at  Philadelphia." 

1777  The  Commander-in-chief,  from  Morristown,  issued  a  proclamation  com- 
manding all  persons  who  had  taken  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  Great  Britain  to 
repair  to  headquarters  within  thirty  days;  deliver  up  such  protection,  "and 
take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  United  States  of  America,  or  forthwith  to 
withdraw  themselves  and  family  within  the  enemy's  lines." 

1781  To  Quartermaster-General  Colonel  Pickering,  Washington  wrote  at 
New  Windsor:  "Sir,  my  horses  I  am  told  have  not  had  a  mouthful  of  long  or 
short  forage  for  three  days.  They  have  eaten  up  their  mangers  and  are  now, 
(though  wanted  for  immediate  use,)  scarcely  able  to  stand." 


u  Faith,  you  and  Applecrow  were  right  "Some  daring  Hancock,  or  a  Franklin 
To  keep  the  Highlan'  hounds  in  sight ;  May  set  their  Highlan'  bluid  a-ranklin', 

I  doubt  na,  they  wad  bid  na  better  Some  Washington  again  may  head  them ; 

Than  let  them  ance  out  owre  the  water ;  Or  some  Montgomery,  fearless,  lead  them ; 

Then  up  amang  thae  lakes  and  seas,  Till  God  knows  what  may  be  effected 

They  11  mak'  what  rules  an'  laws  they  please ;      When  by  such  heads  and  hearts  directed." 

Robert  Burns  (Scotland)- 


14  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY 


JANUARY  TWENTY-SIXTH. 


1756  Colonel  Washington,  from  the  frontier,  made  an  eloquent  appeal  to 
Lord  Dinwiddie  for  justice  to  his  Virginia  troops,  demanding  through  that  offi- 
cial royal  recognition.  He  said:  "We  cannot  conceive  that  because  we  are 
Americans,  we  should  therefore  be  deprived  of  the  benefits  common  to  British 
subjects,  nor  that  it  should  lessen  our  claim  to  preferment.  And  we  are  certain 
that  no  Body  of  Regular  Troops  ever  before  served  three  bloody  campaigns  with- 
out royal  notice." 

1780  Congress,  approving  of  the  findings  of  the  court  martial,  ordered  that 
General  Benedict  Arnold  be  publicly  reprimanded  by  the  Commander-in-chief, 
which  duty  Washington  performed  at  Morristown  with  singular  delicacy,  sym- 
pathy, and  fidelity.  He  said :  "  Our  profession  is  the  chastest  of  all.  Even  the 
shadow  of  a  fault  tarnishes  the  lustre  of  our  finest  achievements.  The  least  in- 
advertence may  rob  us  of  the  public  favor  so  hard  to  be  acquired.  I  reprimand 
you,  for  having  forgotten  that,  in  proportion  as  you  have  rendered  yourself 
formidable  to  our  enemies,  you  should  have  been  guarded  and  temperate  towards 
your  fellow  citizens.  Exhibit  anew  those  noble  qualities  which  have  placed  you 
on  the  list  of  our  most  valued  commanders.  I  will,  myself,  furnish  you,  as  far 
as  it  may  be  in  my  power,  with  opportunities  of  regaining  the  esteem  of  your 
country." 


"England  missed  the  sobriety,  the  self  command,  the  perfect  soundness  of  judgment,  the 
perfect  rectitude  of  intention,  to  which  the  history  of  revolutions  furnishes  no  parallel,  or  fur- 
nishes a  parallel  in  Washington  alone." 

Thomas  Babington  Macaulay  {Eulogy  on  John  Hampden). 

JANUARY  TWENTY-SEVENTH. 

1778  From  Valley  Forge  the  Commander-in-chief  replied  to  General  Gates 
in  regard  to  the  "  Irruption  into  Canada."  He  said :  "As  I  neither  know  the  ob- 
jects in  view,  nor  the  means  to  be  employed  to  effect  them,  it  is  not  in  my  power 
to  pass  any  judgement  upon  the  subject."  A  diplomatic  response,  as  Washing- 
ton knew  the  project  of  Gates  and  Conway  was  to  weaken  him ;  a  part  of  their 
plan  was  the  withdrawal  of  Lafayette  from  his  personal  association. 

1796  The  Senate  confirmed  James  McHenry,  of  Maryland;  as  Secretary  of 
War.  The  President  in  offering  him  the  office  had  frankly  written,  that  it  had 
been  tendered  to  General  Pinckney,  Colonel  Carrington,  and  Governor  Howard. 
"  I  press  you  for  an  immediate  answer,  as  the  public  service  is  suffering  much  for 
want  of  a  head  to  the  Department  of  War." 

1799  General  Washington,  writing  to  James  McHenry,  Secretary  of  War, 
concerning  the  new  uniforms  for  the  officers  of  the  provisional  army,  illustrates 
how  closely  he  studied  detail,  when  he  said,  referring  to  the  uniforms  for  the 
provisional  army,  "  I  am  against  all  embroidery,  but  if  it  is  on  the  cape,  cuffs, 
and  pockets  of  the  coat,  and  none  on  the  buff  waistcoat,  would  it  not  have  a  dis- 
jointed appearance  !  n 


"  You  are  in  my  eyes  the  great  and  good  man ;  may  you  long  enjoy  the  love,  veneration  and 
esteem  of  these  states  whose  liberties  you  have  asserted  by  your  virtues." 

Gen.  Thomas  Conway  (to  Washington). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  15 

JANUARY  TWENTY-EIGHTH. 

1760  Washington,  always  busy,  never  overlooked  laziness  in  others.  He  wrote 
in  his  diary :  "  Visited  my  plantation,  severely  reprimanded  young  Stephens  for 
indolence,  and  his  father  for  suffering  it.  Found  the  new  negro  Cupid  ill  with 
pleurisy  at  Dogue  Run,  and  had  him  brought  home  in  a  cart  for  better  care  of 
him."  Under  no  circumstances,  in  peace  or  war,  were  the  needs  of  "  my  people, " 
as  he  often  called  the  negroes,  forgotten  or  neglected. 

1798  General  Washington  wrote  to  the  commissioners  of  the  "  Federal  Dis- 
trict," in  regard  to  a  National  University,  offering  to  subscribe  liberally  to  the 
same.  He  said :  u  It  has  always  been  a  source  of  serious  reflection  and  sincere 
regret  with  me  that  the  youth  of  the  United  States  should  be  sent  to  foreign 
countries  for  the  purpose  of  education.  The  Federal  City,  from  its  centrality 
and  the  advantages,  which  in  other  respects  it  must  have  over  any  other.place  in 
the  United  States,  ought  to  be  preferred  as  a  proper  site  for  such  an  University." 


M  Washington  would  gladly  in  his  own  city  have  been  the  founder  of  the  University  of 
America.  He  had  not  himself  to  any  extent,  the  advantages  of  a  university  education,  but  with 
the  prophetic  eye  of  the  patriot  and  the  statesman,  he  saw  that  here,  on  the  banks  of  his  own 
beautiful  river,  there  was  to  be  not  only  the  seat  of  empire,  the  seat  of  a  great  Republican 
Empire,  vastly  grander  indeed,  than  even  he  had  ever  dreamed;  but  also  the  centre  of  science, 
art  and  literature  for  America — the  centre  from  which  should  radiate  the  light  to  illumine  all 
the  body  politic,  the  heart  from  which  should  flow  the  blood  through  all  the  veins  of  our  young 
Republic's  intellectual  life."  Martin  F.  Morris,  Justice  {Washington,  D.  C). 

JANUARY  TWENTY-NINTH. 

1769  Colonel  Washington  wrote  to  his  distant  relative  and  friend  William 
Ramsay,  a  merchant  at  Alexandria,  Va. :  "Having  been  informed  of  the 
studious  habits  of  your  son  William,  I  will  allow  him  twenty-five  pounds  an- 
nually to  assist  him  in  his  education  at  Princeton  College.  No  other  return  is 
expected  or  wished  for  this  offer,  than  that  you  will  accept  it  with  the  same 
freedom  and  good  will  with  which  it  is  made,  and  that  you  may  not  even  con- 
sider it  in  the  light  of  an  obligation,  or  mention  it  as  such ;  for  be  assured  that 
from  me  it  will  never  be  known." 

1778  For  the  use  of  the  Committee  of  Congress,  the  Commander-in-chief 
compiled  a  most  important  report  containing  fifty  folios.  It  was  based  upon 
the  reports,  suggestions,  and  recommendations  of  the  leading  Continental  offi- 
cers, added  to  which  were  his  own  valuable  deductions,  and  giving  a  concise 
picture  of  the  army  at  this  period  of  the  war. 

1791  Through  the  Secretary  of  State,  Thomas  Jefferson,  Major  L'Enfant 
was  asked  to  make  such  drafts  of  the  grounds  in  the  survey  for  the  Federal 
City,  as  would  enable  President  Washington  "  to  fix  the  spot n  for  the  various 
public  buildings  and  determine  location  of  reservations. 


"His  exterior  disclosed  as  it  were  the  history  of  his  life,  simplicity,  grandeur,  dignity, 
calmness,  goodness,  firmness.  The  attributes  of  his  character  were  also  stamped  upon  his 
features,  and  in  all  his  person."  Count  de  Segur  {France). 


16  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

JANUARY  THIRTIETH. 

1776  General  Washington  offered  to  Lord  Howe,  Governor  Skene  in  ex- 
change for  Mr.  James  Lovell  and  family,  who,  on  account  of  service  rendered 
the  American  cause  in  the  city  of  Boston,  had  been  sent  to  Canada  by  the  Eng- 
lish general.  Washington  insisted  that  their  condition  called  for  immediate 
consideration.  To  the  president  of  Congress  he  wrote:  "I  wish  it  was  in  my 
power  to  furnish  Congress  with  such  a  general  as  they  desire  to  send  to  Canada. 
Since  the  unhappy  reverse  of  our  affairs  in  that  quarter,  Gen.  Schuyler  has  in- 
formed me,  that,  though  he  had  thoughts  of  declining  the  service  before,  he 
would  now  act." 

1781  The  Commander-in-chief  in  a  general  order  expressed  his  obligation  to 
Major-General  Robert  Howe  for  his  prompt  suppression  of  the  mutiny  in  the 
New  Jersey  troops,  which  outburst  occurring  on  the  twentieth  was  as  alarming 
in  character  as  that  which  had  occurred  in  the  Pennsylvania  line.  He  in- 
structed General  Howe  to  grant  no  terms  while  the  revolted  troops  were  with 
arms,  and,  if  successful  in  compelling  a  surrender,  to  instantly  execute  a  few  of 
the  most  active  leaders. 


"I  see  the  rolling  years  renew  his  fame,  "His  triumph  boasted  when  the  weak  would  dare, 

I  hear  each  varied  language  coin  his  name,      His  virtue  cited  when  the  good  despair, 
His  shade  invoked  where  freedom's  banner  Till,  from  the  Niger  to  the  frozen  sea, 

spreads.  The  joyous  earth  re-echoes  — '  Man  is  free ! ' n 

His  deeds  rehearsed  where  freedom's  soldier 

treads,  Sarah  Josepha  Sale  (New  Hampshire). 

JANUARY  THIRTY-FIRST. 

1776  The  following  extract  from  General  Washington's  letter  to  his  secre- 
tary Colonel  Reed,  written  at  Cambridge,  shows  that  he  at  once  appreciated  the 
power  of  Paine's  great  paper  urging  an  immediate  severance  from  the  mother- 
country  :  "  A  few  more  such  flaming  arguments  as  were  exhibited  at  Falmouth, 
and  Norfolk,  added  to  the  sound  doctrine  and  unanswerable  reasoning  con- 
tained in  the  pamphlet '  Common  Sense '  (Paine),  will  not  leave  numbers  at  a 
loss  to  decide  upon  the  propriety  of  a  separation." 

1778  The  Commander-in-chief  from  Valley  Forge  expressed  his  personal 
obligation  to  Hon.  Henry  Laurens,  president  of  Congress,  for  sending  him  (un- 
officially) information  concerning  the  famous  "Conrad  Cabal." 

1786  From  Mount  Vernon,  Washington  urged  James  Rumsey  to  place  his 
"  Mechanical  boat n  (as  he  termed  a  model  for  a  boat  to  be  propelled  by  steam), 
before  the  public.  Rumsey  kept  a  commodious  boarding-house  [Berkeley  Springs, 
Va.],  at  the  sign  of  the  "  Liberty  Pole  and  Flag." 

1793  President  Washington  wrote  a  letter  of  sympathy  to  Marchioness  de 
Lafayette  upon  the  captivitv  of  her  husband,  and  informed  her  that  he  had  de- 
posited with  Nicholas  Van  Stophorst,  Amsterdam,  two  hundred  guineas,  subject 
to  her  order. 


Washington  is  the  advocate  of  human  nature,  the  light  of  both  worlds." 

Mirabeau  (France). 


FEBRUARY  FIRST. 

1776  General  Washington,  at  Cambridge,  in  referring  to  the  short  enlist- 
ment of  troops,  said :  "  The  disadvantages  are  so  great  and  apparent  to  me,  that 
I  am  convinced,  uncertain  as  the  continuance  of  the  war  is,  that  Congress  had 
better  determine  to  give  a  bounty  of  twenty,  thirty,  or  even  forty  dollars  to 
every  man  who  will  enlist  for  the  whole  time,  be  it  long  or  short." 

1779  At  the  request  of  his  friend  John  Jay,  the  Commander-in-chief  while 
in  Philadelphia  sat  to  Pierre  Eugene  du  Simitiere.  It  was  a  profile  head  in  black 
lead,  and  only  known  through  engravings  by  the  artist,  who  wrote:  u  The  Gen- 
eral  condescended  with  great  good  nature  to  sit  about  three  quarters  of  an  hour 
for  the  above  likeness,  having  but  little  time  to  spend,  being  the  last  day  of  his 
stay  in  town." 

1782  Washington's  letter  to  Meshech  Weare  of  New  Hampshire,  utilized  as 
a  circular  letter  to  the  governors,  shows  the  General  did  not  claim  that  Yorktown 
was  an  end  of  the  contest.  "  The  broken  and  perplexed  state  of  the  enemy's 
affairs,  and  the  successes  of  the  last  campaign  on  our  part,  ought  to  be  a  power- 
ful incitement  to  vigorous  preparations  for  the  next.  Unless  we  strenuously 
exert  ourselves  to  profit  by  these  successes,  we  shall  not  only  lose  all  solid  ad- 
vantages that  might  be  derived  from  them,  but  we  shall  become  contemptable 
in  our  eyes,  in  the  eyes  of  our  enemy,  in  the  opinion  of  posterity,  and  even  in 
the  estimation  of  the  whole  world,  which  will  consider  us  as  a  nation  unworthy 
of  prosperity,  because  we  know  not  how  to  make  a  right  use  of  it." 

1796  The  President  wrote  to  Oliver  Wolcott  at  Hartford,  regretting  the 
recent  death  of  Governor  Huntington,  adding,  "At  the  same  time  I  can  but  feel 
consoled  that  the  government  of  the  State  has  fallen  into  such  hands  as  yours." 


"  He  was  by  nature  vehement,  impulsive,  headstrong,  impatient,  passionate ;  a  man  in  whose 
blood  the  fiery  courses  might  easily  have  run  to  riot,  and  strewed  their  way  with  havoc.  How  great 
the  honor  due  to  him  who  so  held  them  under  bit,  rein  and  curb,  that  masterly  self-control  un- 
der intensest  provocation  became  his  foremost  character,  that  disappointment,  delay,  defeat, 
even  treachery,  so  seldom  disturbed  his  equanimity,  spread  a  cloud  over  his  brow,  or  drew  from 
him  a  resentful  or  bitter  word.  In  mien,  manner,  speech,  and  intercourse,  he  was  never  beneath 
and  never  above  his  place.  Dignity  without  haughtiness,  firmness  without  obstinacy,  conde- 
scension without  stooping,  gentleness  without  suppleness,  affability  without  undue  familiarity, 
were  blended  in  him  as  in  hardly  any  other  historical  personage." 

Andrew  P.  Peabody,  LL.  D.  (Harvard  University). 
2  n 


18  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


FEBRUARY  SECOND. 


1778  General  Washington,  in  his  unfailing  fatherly  interest,  wrote  to  his 
stepson,  Major  John  Parke  Custis :  a  I  congratulate  you  upon  the  birth  of  an- 
other daughter,  and  Nelly's  good  health,  and  heartily  wish  the  last  may  continue, 
and  the  other  be  a  blessing  to  you."  This  child  was  Martha  Parke  Custis,  who 
married  Thomas  Peter,  Esq.  They  lived  at  Tudor  Place,  Georgetown,  D.  C, 
where  their  granddaughter,  Mrs.  Beverly  Kennon,  resides. 

1779  The  Commander-in-chief,  having  asked  permission  of  Congress  to  join 
his  army  at  Middlebrook,  left  Philadelphia  with  his  wife.  They  had  been,  for 
about  six  weeks,  the  guests  of  Hon.  Henry  Laurens ;  and  this  was  his  first  inter- 
mission from  active  field-service  since  he  assumed  command.  The  "  Pennsylvania 
Packet"  said :  "He  had  been  honored  with  every  mark  of  esteem  which  his  exalted 
qualities  as  a  gentleman  and  a  citizen  entitled  him  to." 

1784  Washington  wrote  to  Lafayette,  in  Paris :  "  At  length  I  am  become  a 
private  citizen  on  the  banks  of  the  Potomac.  I  have  not  only  retired  from  all 
public  employment,  but  I  am  retiring  within  myself.  Envious  of  none,  I  am 
determined  to  be  pleased  with  all ;  and  this,  being  the  order  of  my  march,  I  will 
move  gently  down  the  stream  of  life,  until  I  sleep  with  my  fathers." 


"  The  character  of  Washington  is  a  national  possession.  To  its  courage  and  perseverance 
we  owe  the  successful  issue  of  our  war  for  independence ;  to  its  integrity  and  judgment  the  per- 
manence of  our  constitutional  experiment,  and  to  its  firmness  and  patriotism,  our  position  as  a 
nation.    All  Americans  should  study  and  venerate  it."  William  S.  Baker  (Pennsylvania). 

FEBRUARY  THIRD. 

1774  Colonel  Washington  and  wife  attended  the  marriage  of  her  only  son, 
John  Parke  Custis,  to  Eleanor  Calvert,  daughter  of  Benedict  Calvert,  Esq.,  of 
Mount  Airy,  Prince  George,  Md.,  and  a  descendant  of  Lord  Baltimore.  Wash- 
ington would  have  been  gratified  if  he  could  have  induced  his  stepson  and  ward 
to  travel  in  Europe  before  settling  down  to  the  life  of  a  planter. 

1791  The  President  wrote,  confidentially,  to  the  Federal  commissioners :  "  The 
Federal  Territory  being  located,  the  competition  for  the  location  of  the  town  now 
rests  between  the  mouth  of  the  Eastern  Branch  and  the  lands  on  the  river  below 
and  adjacent  to  Georgetown.  There  are  lands  which  stand  yet,  in  the  way  of  the 
latter  location,  and  which,  if  they  could  be  obtained  for  the  purpose  of  the  town, 
would  remove  a  considerable  obstacle  to  it,  and  go  near  indeed  to  decide  what 
has  been  so  long  on  the  balance  with  me." 

1793  The  following  extract  from  a  letter  to  his  manager  illustrates  the  fact 
that  under  no  circumstances  did  Washington  forget  or  neglect  even  his  lesser 
charities :  "  Sarah  Flatf oot  (you  call  her  Lightfoot)  has  been  accustomed  to  re- 
ceive a  pair  of  shoes,  stockings,  a  country  cloth  petticoat,  and  an  oznabrig  shift, 
all  ready  made,  annually,  and  it  is  not  meant  to  discontinue  them." 


"  Deeds  of  serenity  were  his  sad  tribute  to  justice,  deeds  of  humanity  the  native  suggestions 
of  his  heart.  His  deeds  and  his  virtues  are  his  high  eulogium.  His  deeds  most  familiar  to  your 
memories:  his  virtues  most  dear  to  your  affections."    John  Mitchell  Mason,  D.  D.  (New  York). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  19 

FEBRUARY  FOURTH. 

1756  Colonel  Washington,  accompanied  by  his  aide  Captain  Mercer  and  two 
servants,  set  out  on  horseback  from  Winchester,  Va.,  on  his  mission  to  Governor 
Shirley  of  Massachusetts.  u  He  wore  a  uniform  of  blue  and  buff,  with  a  white 
cloak  lined  with  scarlet,  and  a  short  dress  sword,  with  sword  knot  of  gold  and 
red.  His  servant's  livery  was  scarlet  and  white,  with  hat  laced  with  silver. 
The  horse  trappings  were  of  London  make,  with  the  Washington  arms  engraved 
upon  the  housings." 

1780  General  Washington  wrote  from  Morristown  to  the  Marquis  de  la 
Luzerne:  "I  thank  your  Excellency  for  the  agreeable  intelligence  you  give  me 
of  his  most  christian  Majesty's  intentions  to  send  over  succor  of  arms  and 
ammunition.  It  is  a  new  and  valuable  proof  of  his  friendship,  and  will  be  of 
essential  utility." 

1790  President  Washington  in  the  Executive  Mansion,  No.  3  Cherry  Street, 
New  York,  entertained  at  dinner  the  Vice-President,  the  Chief  Justice  and  Jus- 
tices of  the  Supreme  Court,  the  cabinet,  several  senators,  and  other  officials. 


"  I  cannot  deny  myself  the  pleasure  of  informing  you  of  the  sentiments  with  which  the  reports 
of  the  French  officers,  on  their  return  to  Versailles,  inspired  the  court  and  nation  towards  your 
excellency.  Their  testimony  can  add  nothing  to  the  universal  opinion  respecting  the  great  services 
which  you  have  rendered  to  your  country;  but  to  the  esteem  and  admiration  of  the  French,  will 
henceforth  be  added  a  sentiment  of  affection  and  attachment  which  is  a  just  return  for  the 
attention  our  officers  have  received  from  you,  and  for  the  progress  they  have  made  in  their  pro- 
fession by  serving  under  your  orders."  Luzerne  (France),  1782. 

FEBRUARY  FIFTH. 

1776  "  The  Colonels  of  the  Old  Establishment,  will  to  day  and  tomorrow  re- 
ceive warrants  for  their  pay  abstracts  for  the  months  of  November  and  Decem- 
ber. Hereafter  even  for  officers,  there  will  be  no  allowance  made  for  neglect  or 
mistakes."     Washington's  Orderly  Book  (Cambridge). 

1779  General  and  Mrs.  Washington  reached  headquarters,  Middlebrook. 
Commenting  upon  his  visit,  the  General  said :  u  While  in  Philadelphia  what 
between  Congress,  and  a  special  committee  of  that  body,  I  was  furnished  with 
ample  employment.     I  had  few  moments  of  relaxation." 

1785  To  Samuel  Vaughn,  an  English  merchant  who  had  a  house  in  Phila- 
delphia, Washington  wrote,  thanking  him  for  the  handsome  present  of  a  marble 
mantelpiece,  now  in  the  Banquet  Hall,  Mount  Vernon,  saying,  "  I  fear  it  is  too 
elegant  and  costly  for  my  room,  and  republican  style  of  living."  This  mantel 
is  of  white  marble  supported  by  Siena  columns.  On  the  tablets  in  high  relief 
are  well-executed  scenes  in  the  life  of  the  husbandman. 


"The  character  of  "Washington  has,  after  all,  been  undervalued,  because  not  valued  cor- 
rectly. He  was  a  proper  puritan  hero.  It  is  his  exactness  and  persistency  which  attract  me. 
A  few  simple  deeds  and  a  dignified  silence  for  a  back-ground  is  all.  He  never  fluctuated,  nor 
lingered,  nor  stooped  nor  wavered,  but  was  nobly  silent  and  assured.  His  behavior  in  the  field 
and  in  council,  and  his  dignified  and  contented  withdrawal  to  private  life  were  great.  He  could 
advance  and  he  could  retreat."  Henry  David  Thoreau  (Massachusetts). 


20  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

FEBRUARY    SIXTH. 

1783  In  celebration  of  the  fifth  anniversary  of  the  French  alliance,  the 
Commander-in-chief  reviewed  the  army,  and  after  the  feu  de  joie  received,  as  an- 
nounced, "  Not  only  all  the  officers  of  the  cantonment,  but  all  the  gentlemen  of 
the  army,  and  other  gentlemen  and  ladies,  who  can  attend  with  convenience  at 
the  New  Building ;  where  a  cold  collation  will  be  provided."  In  a  letter  of  this 
date  Washington  congratulated  G-eneral  Greene  on  his  great  southern  success, 
saying,  "  If  historiographers  should  be  hardy  enough  to  fill  the  page  of  History 
with  the  advantages,  that  have  been  gained  with  unequal  numbers,  (on  the  part 
of  America)  in  the  course  of  this  contest,  and  attempt  to  relate  the  distressing 
circumstances  under  which  they  have  been  obtained,  it  is  more  than  probable 
that  Posterity  will  bestow  on  their  labors  the  epithet  and  marks  of  Fiction." 

1786  At  Mount  Vernon  Washington  said :  "  Mr.  Lear,  or  any  other  man  who 
may  come  into  my  family  in  the  blended  characters  of  preceptor  to  the  children, 
and  as  a  clerk  or  private  secretary  to  me,  will  sit  at  my  table,  will  live  as  I  live, 
will  mix  with  the  company  who  resort  to  the  house,  will  be  treated  in  every  re- 
spect with  civility  and  proper  attention." 

1788    The  State  of  Massachusetts  ratified  the  Federal  Constitution. 


"Men  of  all  descriptions  and  everywhere  take  pride  in  his  name.  It  is  the  watchword  of 
liberty  in  every  land :  it  is  heard  with  mingled  respect  and  apprehension  in  the  palaces  of  kings, 
with  reverence  in  the  hut  of  the  savage."  John  Carroll  Brent  (Maryland). 

FEBRUARY  SEVENTH. 

1776  The  following  from  the  Orderly  Book,  Cambridge,  establishes  the  date 
of  the  first  appointment  of  an  army  chaplain :  "  The  Continental  Congress  having 
been  pleased  to  order  and  direct  that  there  shall  be  one  Chaplain  to  two  Regi- 
ments, and  that  the  pay  of  each  Chaplain  shall  be  Thirty  three  dollars  &  one 
third  pr  Kalendar  month.  The  Rev'd  Abiel  Leonard  is  appointed  Chaplain  to 
the  Regiment  of  Artillery  under  the  command  of  Col.  Knox,  and  to  the  20th, 
Regiment  commanded  by  Lt  Col  Durkee." 

1781  Congress  resolved,  "  That  there  be  a  Superintendent  of  Finance,  a  Sec- 
retary of  War,  and  a  Secretary  of  Marine,"  which  greatly  relieved  Washington. 

1788  Acknowledging  an  introduction  from  Marquis  de  la  Luzerne  of  his 
successor  Count  de  Moustier,  Washington  said :  "It  will  not  be  forgotten,  that 
you  were  a  witness  to  the  dangers,  the  sufferings,  the  exertions,  and  the  suc- 
cesses of  the  United  States,  from  the  most  perilous  crisis  to  the  hour  of  triumph. 
The  influence  of  your  agency  on  the  cabinet  to  produce  a  cooperation,  and  the 
prowess  of  your  countrymen  cooperating  with  ours  in  the  field  to  secure  the  lib- 
erties of  America,  have  made  such  an  indelible  impression  on  the  public  mind 
as  will  never  be  effaced." 


"Ille  operum  custos;  ilium  admirantur  et  omnes 
Circumstant  fremitu  denso." 
"  These  verses  are  applicable  to  him  in  every  sense :  he  has  been  the  founder  of  the  repub- 
lic, and  only  he  can  preserve  it  under  the  new  form  that  it  has  been  given." 

Comte  de  Moustier  (France),  1789. 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  21 


FEBRUARY  EIGHTH. 


1756  Colonel  Washington  en  route  for  Boston  spent  a  day  and  night  at 
Philadelphia.  His  sundry  expenses  while  there  were  two  pounds  and  three 
shillings.  It  was  his  first  visit  to  this  city,  where  in  after  years  he  was  destined 
to  bear  so  conspicuous  a  part  in  civil  and  military  affairs.  Here,  as  elsewhere 
on  his  journey,  he  was  received  with  distinguished  consideration ;  for,  although 
only  twenty-four  years  of  age,  his  name  was  familiar  throughout  the  colonies. 

1782  From  his  headquarters,  the  elegant  Chew  House,  South  Third  Street, 
Philadelphia,  the  Commander-in-chief  with  the  approval  of  Congress  issued  the 
following  wise  and  conciliatory  proclamation :  "  Free  pardon  to  all  deserters,  as 
well  as  those  who  may  have  joined  the  enemy,  as  others,  who  shall  deliver  them- 
selves up  to  any  Continental  officer  on  or  before  the  first  day  of  June  next." 

1785  Washington  forwarded  papers  to  Richard  Henry  Lee,  president  of 
Congress,  from  Lady  Huntington,  giving  an  outline  of  her  project  to  civilize  and 
Christianize  the  Indians.  He  said:  "Her  Ladyship  has  spoken  so  feelingly  and 
sensibly  on  the  religious  and  benevolent  purposes  of  the  plan,  that  no  language 
of  which  I  am  possessed  can  add  aught  to  enforce  her  observations." 


"  More  wonderful  than  generalship  or  statecraft,  is  the  skill  with  which  Washington  was 
able  to  guide  his  course  amid  the  turbulent  passions  and  fierce  strife  of  parties,  so  as  to  keep 
his  own  character  untainted,  his  name  unsullied ;  winning  and  holding  the  confidence  of  his 
contemporaries  and  the  reverence  of  posterity."  TJiomas  B.  Phister  (Kentucky). 

FEBRUARY  NINTH. 

1776  At  Cambridge,  General  Washington  ordered  that  colonels,  under  no 
pretext,  should  license  more  than  one  sutler  within  the  limits  of  the  camp :  "  The 
Q.  M.  G.  has  his  Excellency's  authority  to  punish  severely  any  one  who  is 
licensed  or  licenses  contrary  to  the  above  law."  To  Congress  he  wrote :  "  I  tried 
every  method  I  could  think  of  to  procure  arms  for  the  men.  They  are  really 
not  to  be  had  in  these  governments  belonging  to  the  Republic,  and  if  some 
method  is  not  fallen  upon  in  the  Southern  governments  to  supply  us  we  shall 
be  in  a  distressed  situation  for  want  of  them." 

1782  Washington  regretted  "the  unavoidable  delay  in  performing  a  most 
agreeable  piece  of  duty,  owing  to  the  difficulty  of  getting  proper  engraving  exe- 
cuted," which  duty  is  explained  in  this  resolution. 

"Congress  resolved,  that  two  pieces  of  the  field  ordnance  taken  from  the  British  Army 
under  the  capitulation  of  York  be  presented  by  the  Commander-in-chief  of  the  American  Army 
to  Count  de  Rochambeau;  and  that  there  be  engraved  thereon  a  short  memorandum,  that  Con- 
gress were  induced  to  present  them  from  considerations  of  the  illustrious  part  he  bore  in  effect- 
ing the  surrender." 


"  Washington  est  mort.  Ce  grand  homme  s'est  battu  contra  la  tyrannie :  il  a  consolide"  la 
liberte  de  sa  patrie.  Sa  memoire  sera  toujours  chere  au  peuple  francais,  comme  a  tous  les 
hommes  libres  des  deux  mondes,  et  specialement  aux  soldats  francais  qui,  comme  lui  et  les  sol- 
dats  Americains  se  battent  pour  l'egalite  et  la  liberty.  En  consequence,  le  premier  consul  or- 
donne  que  pendant  dix  jours  des  crepes  noirs  seront  suspendus  a  tous  lesdrapeaux  et  guidons 
de  la  republique."  Napoleon  (Order  to  the  Army,  Champs  de  Mars,  1800). 


22  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

FEBRUARY  TENTH. 

1778  General  Washington  made  a  most  stirring  appeal  to  Congress  for  the 
relief  of  his  distressed  army,  saying  that  many  of  his  brave  soldiers  might  be 
tracked  by  "the  blood  from  their  uncovered  feet."  He  agreed  that  his  two 
commissioners  would  meet  two  from  Lord  Howe  at  the  "King  of  Prussia's 
Tavern/'  German  town,  to  arrange  for  exchange  of  prisoners.  Mrs.  Washington 
arrived  at  Valley  Forge  this  day,  and  wrote  to  Mrs.  Greene :  "  The  General's 
apartments  are  very  small ;  he  has  had  a  log  cabin  built  to  dine  in,  which  makes 
our  quarters  more  tolerable  than  they  were  at  first." 

1786  Washington,  at  this  period  undisturbed  in  his  favorite  pursuit  of 
agriculture  and  the  improvement  of  his  beloved  Mount  Vernon,  wrote  in  his 
diary :  "  Making  up  the  banks  round  ye  Serpentine  walks  to  the  front  gate." 
Four  days  previous  he  noted  "  Planting  pines  in  the  wilderness  on  the  left  of 
the  lawn  and  spading  the  ground  there."  In  referring  to  a  shrub  he  had 
planted,  he  said :  "  Its  light  and  airy  foliage,  crimson  and  variegated  flowers, 
present  a  gay  and  mirthful  appearance :  continually  whilst  in  bloom  visited  by 
the  brilliant,  thundering  Humming-bird." 


"Most  nations  have  been  favored  with  some  prophetic  deliverer;  the  Israelites  had  their 
Moses;  Eome  had  her  Camillus,  Greece  her  Leonidas,  Sweden  her  Gustavus,  England  her 
Hampdens,  her  Eussells,  and  her  Sydneys;  but  these  illustrious  heroes,  though  successful  in 
preserving  and  defending,  did  not,  like  Washington,  form  or  establish  empires  which  will  be 
the  refuge  or  asylum  of  liberty,  banished  from  Europe  by  luxury  and  exemption." 

John  Bell  {Maryland). 

FEBRUARY  ELEVENTH. 

1732  "  George  Washington,  son  to  Augustine  Washington,  and  Mary,  his 
wife,  was  born  ye  11th  day  of  February,  1731-2,  about  ten  in  the  morning,  and 
was  baptized  ye  3d  of  April  following.  Mr.  Beverly  Whiting  and  Captain 
Christopher  Brooke,  godfathers,  and  Mrs.  Mildred  Gregory,  godmother."  This 
record  was  written  by  George  Washington  in  his  mother's  Bible  before  the 
adoption  of  the  Gregorian  Calendar,  which  made  February  22d  his  birthday  ac- 
cording to  the  "new  style." 

1769  "Went  ducking  till  dinner.  Mr.  Piper  dined  here  and  Betsey  Dan- 
dridge  came  home  in  the  evening."     Washington's  Diary. 

1779  General  Washington's  birthday  was  first  observed  at  Winchester, 
Va.,  and  four  years  later  publicly  celebrated  at  a  dinner  given  by  officers  of  the 
Maryland  Line,  at  Cambridge,  Dorchester  County,  Md.  "  The  Birth  Day  Ball " 
at  Alexandria  was  inaugurated  near  this  time,  and  during  the  century  has  rarely 
been  omitted. 


" The  silver  trump  of  fame ;  "Fill  the  glass  to  the  brink, 
His  glory  shall  proclaim ;  Washington's  health  we  will  drink — 

Till  time  is  done  ;  'Tis  his  birthday. 
Genius  with  taste  refined,  Glorious  deeds  he  has  done, 

Courage  with  coolness  joined,  By  him  our  cause  is  won, 

;Bove  all  an  honest  mind,  Long  live  Great  Washington, 

Has  Washington.  Huzza,  Huzza." 

Song,  Feb.  11,  1784. 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  23 


FEBRUARY  TWELFTH. 


1768  "Went  fox-hunting  with  Colonel  Fairfax,  Mr.  McCarty,  Mr.  Chiches- 
ter, Captains  Posey  and  Manley,  who  dined  here  with  Mrs.  Fairfax  and  Miss 
Nichols.     Catched  two  foxes."     Washington's  Diary. 

1781  At  Newport  (Monday),  Count  Rochambeau  celebrated  the  birthday  of 
the  Commander-in-chief  with  a  fete ;  and  there  was  a  suspension  of  labor  by  his 
army.  The  gallant  Frenchman  wrote :  "  We  will  celebrate  it  with  the  sole  regret 
that  your  Excellency  be  not  a  witness  of  the  effusion  and  gladness  of  our  hearts." 
From  the  beginning  Washington  inspired  the  officers  of  the  allied  army  with 
sentiments  not  only  of  esteem,  but  affection. 

1788  From  camp,  from  legislative  hall,  from  executive  duty,  Washington's 
heart  turned  to  the  beautiful  fields  of  Mount  Vernon,  and  he  was  never  so  happy 
as  when  on  them.  To  Alexander  Spottswood,  Esq.,  he  said  :  "  The  life  of  a  hus- 
bandman of  all  others  is  the  most  delectable.  It  is  honorable,  it  is  amusing,  and 
with  judicious  management  it  is  profitable.  To  see  plants  rise  from  the  earth 
and  flourish  by  the  superior  skill  and  bounty  of  the  laborer  fills  the  contempla- 
tive mind  with  ideas  which  are  more  easy  to  be  conceived  than  expressed." 


"  That  most  ancient  and  honorable  employment,  the  cultivation  of  the  earth,  from  which 
little  minds,  intoxicated  with  pride,  turn  away  with  scorn,  was  his  delightful  occupation.  ...  It 
was  his  industry  and  activity,  at  home,  which  qualified  him  for  the  toils  of  the  campaign  and 
the  dangers  of  the  battlefield,  as  well  as  the  more  arduous  labors  of  the  cabinet." 

Rev.  Robert  Wilson  {Virginia),  1800. 

FEBRUARY  THIRTEENTH. 

1784  General  Washington,  from  Mount  Vernon,  in  an  order  to  his  mer- 
chant, Robert  Carey,  London,  said :  "  Mrs.  Washington  would  take  it  as  a  favor 
if  you  will  direct  Mrs.  Shelby  to  send  her  a  fashionable  summer  cloak  and  hat,  a 
black  silk  apron,  one  piece  of  penny  and  one  of  two-penny  ribbon  (white),  and  a 
pair  of  French  bead  ear-rings  and  necklace.  And  I  should  be  obliged  to  you  for 
sending  me  a  dozen  and  a  half  of  water  plates.  (Pewter,  with  my  crest  en- 
graved.)" 

1786  At  Mount  Vernon,  Washington  wrote  suggestions  to  Jefferson,  in 
Paris,  for  connecting  by  canal  the  head  waters  of  the  Ohio  River  and  the  Chesa- 
peake Bay;  also  the  advisability  of  establishing  cotton  manufactories,  and  giv- 
ing the  assurance  that  very  good  cotton  grew  in  Georgia.  Referring  to  the  manu- 
facture of  glass,  he  asked  him  to  examine  European  factories  and  send  all 
important  data.  As  early  as  1774  Washington  became  interested  in  the  manu- 
facture of  glass,  and  doubtless  would  have  established  that  industry  but  for  the 
intervention  of  the  War  of  Independence. 


u  Washington  is  a  great  work  of  the  Almighty  Artist,  which  none  can  study  without  receiv- 
ing purer  ideas  and  more  lofty  conceptions  of  the  grace  and  beauty  of  the  human  character. 
He  is  already  become  the  saint  of  liberty,  which  has  gathered  new  honors  by  being  associated 
with  his  name ;  and  when  men  aspire  to  free  nations,  they  must  take  him  for  their  model.  .  .  . 
The  whole  world  was  the  theatre  of  his  actions,  and  all  mankind  are  destined  to  partake  sooner 
or  later  in  their  results.  He  is  a  hero  of  a  new  species,  he  had  no  model ;  will  he  have  any 
imitators  f  "  James  Kirke  Paulding  {New  York). 


24  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

FEBRUARY  FOURTEENTH. 

1777  The  Commander-in-chief,  with  a  hunter's  sympathy,  replied  to  his  old 
friend,  the  brilliant  cavalry  officer  and  enthusiastic  lover  of  the  chase,  Henry 
Lee :  u  Your  dogs  are  in  Virginia.  This  circumstance  I  regret,  as  you  will  be 
deprived  of  the  satisfaction  and  amusements  you  hoped  to  derive,  from  their 
friendly  and  companionable  dispositions." 

1780  The  "hutting"  was  announced  completed  at  Morristown  and  the  army 
in  better  condition,  though  in  consequence  of  exposure  the  men  were  suffering 
much  from  lung-fever.  Washington  was  passing  through  one  of  the  most  inac- 
tive and  harassing  periods  of  the  struggle,  yet  daily  compelled  to  witness  the 
discomfort  and  actual  needs  of  his  troops,  while  totally  unable  to  relieve  them. 

1781  The  Commander-in-chief,  in  a  general  order  from  New  Windsor,  "  with 
great  satisfaction"  congratulated  the  armj^  upon  important  successes  lately 
obtained  in  South  Carolina;  particularly  praising  the  gallantry  of  General 
Daniel  Morgan,  Virginia  j  Colonel  John  Eager  Howard,  Maryland ;  and  Colonel 
William  Washington,  South  Carolina.  In  recognition  of  the  achievements  of 
these  brilliant  officers,  Congress  presented  each  with  a  gold  medal. 


"The  voice  of  praise  could  not  betray  him  into  rashness,  nor  the  malignant  tongues  of 
slander  warp  him  from  his  duty ;  with  the  same  steady  mind  he  advanced ;  with  the  same  steady 
mind  he  retired ;  with  the  same  firm  soul  he  fought  the  foe,  with  the  same  firm  soul  he  declined 
the  combat ;  when  victory  held  out  to  him  her  bleeding  hand,  he  clasped  it  with  serenity ;  thank- 
ing God."  Frederick  Frelinghuyzen,  Major-General  {New  Jersey),  1800. 

FEBRUARY  FIFTEENTH. 

1760  "Went  to  a  ball  in  Alexandria  where  Musick  and  dancing  was  the 
chief  Entertainment,  Tea  and  Coffee  which  the  drinkers  of  could  not  distinguish 
from  hot  sweetened  water.  Be  it  remembered  that  pocket-handkerchiefs  served 
the  purposes  of  table  cloths  &  Napkins,  and  no  apology  for  either.  I  shall  there- 
fore distinguish  this  ball  by  the  stile  and  title  of  l  The  Bread  and  Butter  Ball.7 " 
Washington's  Diary. 

1780  At  Morristown,  General  Washington  expressed  to  Joseph  Reed  his 
gratification  at  having  been  elected  a  member  of  the  "American  Philosophical 
Society."  He  said :  "  I  feel  myself  particularly  honored  by  this  relation  to  a 
society,  whose  successful  efforts  for  promoting  useful  knowledge  have  already 
justly  acquired  for  them  the  highest  reputation  in  the  literary  world." 

1787  Washington  urged  his  mother  to  rent  her  land  and  live  with  one  of  her 
children,  but  knowing  her  character,  that  she  would  never  be  happy  as  an  in- 
mate of  any  household  except  upon  an  independent  basis,  he  suggested  "  that  a 
man,  a  maid,  the  phaeton,  and  two  horses  are  all  you  would  want.  For  the  sup- 
port of  these  would  not  require  J  of  your  income."  He  concluded  with  candor : 
"  My  house  is  at  your  service  ;  but  I  am  sure  it  would  never  answer  your  purpose, 
for  in  truth  it  may  be  compared  to  a  well  resorted  tavern." 


"I  am  not  surprised  at  what  George  has  done,  for  he  was  always  a  good  boy." 

Mary  Washington  (1789). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  25 

FEBRUARY   SIXTEENTH. 

1776  In  council  of  war,  the  Commander-in-chief  proposed  an  attack  on  Boston 
over  the  ice  from  Cambridge  and  Roxbury,  but  was  overruled  by  his  officers, 
who  were  opposed  to  an  aggressive  movement  at  that  time  because  the  army 
was  deficient  in  arms  and  powder. 

1778  General  Washington  wrote  to  Governor  Clinton  from  Valley  Forge, 
saying,  u  Naked  and  starving  as  they  are,  we  cannot  enough  admire  the  incom- 
parable patience  and  fidelity  of  the  soldiery,  that  they  have  not  been  ere  this 
excited  by  their  suffering  to  a  general  mutiny  and  dispersion."  A  few  days 
later  he  informed  Congress  of  the  arrival  of  Baron  Steuben,  and  said :  "  He  ap- 
pears to  be  much  of  a  gentleman,  and  as  far  as  I  have  had  an  opportunity  of 
judging,  a  man  of  military  knowledge  and  acquainted  with  the  world." 

1783  Divine  service  was  held  at  New  Windsor  in  the  "New  Building,"  which 
had  just  been  completed,  also  called  "The  Temple"  and  "The  Public  Building." 
"  It  had  a  cupola,  a  flagstaff,  and  an  orchestra,"  and  could  accommodate  a  brigade 
of  troops.  Washington  ordered  it  should  be  occupied  by  the  different  brigades 
each  succeeding  Lord's  Day — chaplains  and  regiments  in  rotation. 


"He  has  ever  shown  himself  superior  to  fortune,  and  in  the  most  trying  adversity  has  dis- 
covered until  then  unknown  resources,  and,  as  if  his  abilities  only  increased  and  dilated  at  the 
prospect  of  difficulty,  he  is  never  better  supplied  than  when  he  seems  destitute  of  everything  ; 
nor  nave  his  armies  ever  been  so  fatal  to  his  enemies  as  at  the  very  instant  when  they  have 
thought  they  have  crushed  him  forever."  Abbe  Claude  C.  Robin  {France). 

FEBRUARY  SEVENTEENTH. 

1778  The  "  camp  famine  "  at  Valley  Forge  was  the  subject  of  every  pen,  and 
no  one  would  have  been  surprised  if  the  army  had  dissolved.  Lafayette  said : 
"  The  unfortunate  soldiers  were  in  want  of  everything :  they  had  neither  coats, 
hats,  shirts,  nor  shoes  j  their  feet  and  legs  froze  till  they  were  black,  and  it  was 
often  necessary  to  amputate  them."  They  were  in  no  condition  to  fight,  or  the 
Commander-in-chief  would  have  made  a  feint  on  the  enemy  at  Philadelphia  in 
obedience  to  the  expressed  desire  of  Congress.  He  appealed  for  cattle  to  New 
Jersey,  Pennsylvania,  Delaware,  Maryland,  and  Virginia,  saying,  u  a  bountiful 
price  will  be  given,  and  the  proprietors  may  assure  themselves  that  they  will 
render  a  most  essential  service  to  the  cause  of  their  country." 

1781  Washington  congratulated  Congress  upon  the  victory  of  General  Mor- 
gan at  Cowpens,  S.  C,  over  Colonel  Tarleton  and  the  flower  of  the  British  army. 
He  said:  "It  reflects  the  highest  honor  upon  our  arms,  and  I  hope  it  will  at  least 
be  attended  with  this  advantage:  that  it  will  check  the  offensive  operations  of 
the  enemy  until  General  Greene  shall  have  collected  a  much  more  respectable 
force  than  he  had  under  his  command  by  the  last  accounts  from  him." 


"  Modest  in  the  midst  of  pride,  wise  in  the  midst  of  folly,  calm  in  the  midst  of  passion, 
cheerful  in  the  midst  of  gloom,  steadfast  among  the  wavering,  hopeful  among  the  despondent, 
bold  among  the  timid,  prudent  among  the  rash,  generous  among  the  selfish,  true  among  the 
faithless,  greatest  among  good  men,  and  best  among  the  great,  such  was  George  Washington  at 
Valley  Forge."  Henry  Armitt  Brown  (Pennsylvania),  1878. 


26  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

FEBRUARY   EIGHTEENTH. 

1779  The  Commander-in-chief  at  Pluckamin,  N.  J.,  attended  the  celebration 
of  the  first  anniversary  of  the  French  alliance,  given  by  General  Knox  and  the 
officers.  This  should  have  occurred  on  the  6th,  the  proper  date,  but  was  de- 
ferred, owing  to  the  absence  of  Washington.  The  General  opened  the  ball  with 
Mrs.  Knox.    A  salute  of  sixteen  guns  was  fired  in  compliment  to  Louis  XVI. 

1782  General  Washington  urged  upon  the  United  Colonies  that  as  the 
speech  of  King  George  at  the  opening  of  Parliament  did  not  give  promise  of 
peace,  the  best  thing  was  to  take  vigorous  steps  for  the  coming  campaign,  and 
promptly  furnish  men  and  supplies. 

1792  President  Washington  approved  an  act  admitting  Vermont  into  the 
Federal  Union  —  the  first  star  added  to  the  original  thirteen. 

1795  In  the  President's  instructions  to  his  nephew  Robert  Lewis,  he  said: 
u  Mrs.  Haney  should  endeavor  to  do  what  she  can  for  herself,  that  is  a  duty 
encumbent  on  every  one;  but  you  must  not  let  her  suffer,  as  she  has  thrown 
herself  upon  me;  your  advances  on  this  account  will  be  allowed  always,  at 
settlement;  and  I  agree  readily  to  furnish  her  with  provisions,  and  give  her 
daughter  in  my  name  a  handsome  but  not  costly  gown." 


"In  every  situation,  under  every  circumstance,  in  every  view  of  his  glorious  career,  we 
may  trace  the  sublime ;  I  might  say  divine  energy  of  that  soul  with  which  he  was  endowed  by 
Omnipotence  for  the  vindication  of  his  countrie's  rights."         Samuel  Knox  (Maryland),  1800. 

FEBRUARY   NINETEENTH. 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief  decided  he  was  now  supplied  with  powder 
sufficient  to  justify  his  attack  on  Boston.  To  Governor  Trumbull  he  expressed 
his  opinion  of  the  bad  policy  of  the  towns  keeping  powder  stored  for  their  de- 
fense, rather  than  supplying  the  needs  of  the  army. 

1777  General  Washington,  from  Morristown,  urged  Congress  to  provide 
promptly  for  an  increase  of  the  army.  He  stated  that  every  officer  who  could 
be  spared  from  the  camp  had  been  ordered  to  the  several  colonies  to  actively 
engage  in  recruiting  service,  and  to  gather  in  the  men  who  remained  at  home 
upon  temporary  hospital  discharge.  After  repeated  and  pressing  requests  from 
the  Commander-in-chief  for  an  increase  of  general  officers,  Congress  this  day 
appointed  five  major-generals  —  Stirling,  Mifflin,  St.  Clair,  Stephens,  and  Lincoln. 

1795  This  day  was  observed  as  a  national  thanksgiving  in  pursuance  of 
the  President's  Proclamation,  in  which  he  said :  "  When  we  review  the  calami- 
ties which  afflict  so  many  other  nations,  the  present  condition  of  the  United 
States  affords  much  matter  of  consolation  and  satisfaction." 


"  The  character  of  Washington  has  ascended  above  the  ordinary  language  of  eulogy.  .  .  . 
He  dignified  office,  he  elevated  the  highest  rank — military  or  civil — he  ever  held.  No  rank,  mili- 
tary or  civil,  ever  raised  him,  or  could  come  up  to  that  majesty  of  character  which  the  God  of 
his  nature  had  implanted  in  him.     That  was  our  Washington."    John  J.  Crittenden  (Kentucky). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  27 

FEBRUARY   TWENTIETH. 

1781  The  Commander-in-chief  selected  from  several  posts  twelve  hundred 
men,  and  gave  the  command  to  General  Lafayette,  with  orders  to  march  to 
Virginia,  expecting  he  would  be  supported  in  the  Chesapeake  Bay  by  a  detach- 
ment from  the  French  fleet.  One  of  the  chief  objects  of  this  expedition  was 
the  capture  of  Benedict  Arnold,  who  had  been  made  brigadier-general  in  the 
British  service,  and  was  devastating  and  outraging  that  colony. 

1788  Washington  responded  to  President  Samuel  Griffin:  "I  have  been 
duly  honored  and  greatly  affected  with  the  receipt  of  the  resolution  of  the 
visitors  and  Governors  of  William  and  Mary  College,  appointing  me  Chancellor 
of  the  same,  and  have  to  thank  you  for  your  polite  attention  in  the  transmis- 
sion." Two  months  later,  after  inquiring  into  the  duties  of  the  office,  he  wrote : 
"Influenced  by  a  heartfelt  desire  to  promote  the  cause  of  science  in  general, 
and  the  prosperity  of  the  college  of  William  and  Mary  in  particular,  I  accept 
the  office  of  Chancellor."  In  this  office  he  succeeded  Robert  Lowth,  D.  D., 
Bishop  of  London. 

1792  President  Washington  approved  an  act  fixing  rates  of  postage,  and 
conferring  the  franking  privilege  on  members  of  Congress  and  heads  of 
departments. 


"  Where  Washington  hath  left 
His  awful  memory 
A  light  for  after  times."  Robert  Southey  (England). 

FEBRUARY  TWENTY-FIRST. 

1777  To  General  Parsons,  who  was  recruiting  in  Connecticut,  the  Comman- 
der-in-chief gave  orders  in  regard  to  the  Tories:  "They  have  permission  to 
carry  in  with  them  their  necessary  wearing  apparel,  but  nothing  that  can  pos- 
sibly be  useful  to  the  enemy.  Their  estates  must  be  secured,  till  the  civil 
power  determine  what  shall  be  done." 

1782  Congress  invested  Washington  with  power  to  negotiate  an  exchange 
of  prisoners  on  the  broadest  scale,  but  with  a  "  secret  instruction  n  that  nothing 
contained  therein  "  should  be  construed  to  authorize  the  exchange  of  Lord 
Cornwallis."  He  replied  to  Congress :  "  I  find  myself  so  exceedingly  embar- 
rassed— Your  prohibiting  the  exchange  of  Lord  Cornwallis  by  composition, 
which  is  the  only  mode  he  can  be  exchanged,  except  for  civil  characters,  we 
having  no  military  grade  answerable  to  his." 

1796  President  Washington  wrote  to  Lord  Buchan  in  regard  to  securing 
thrifty  Scotchmen  for  Mount  Vernon,  objecting  to  the  "  slovenly  farmers " 
which  he  had  to  employ  as  tenants. 


"The  stately  column  that  stretches  heavenward  from  the  plain  whereon  we  stand  bears 
witness  to  all  who  behold  it,  that  the  covenant  which  our  fathers  made,  their  children  have 
fulfilled.  In  the  completion  of  this  great  work  of  patriotic  endeavor  there  is  abundant  cause 
for  national  rejoicing,  for  while  this  structure  shall  endure  it  shall  be  to  all  mankind  a  stead- 
fast token  of  the  affectionate  and  reverent  regard  in  which  this  people  continue  to  hold  the 
memory  of  Washington.  Well  may  he  ever  keep  the  foremost  place  in  the  hearts  of  his 
countrymen."  Chester  A.  Arthur,  President  of  the  United  States. 

Presenting  the  Washington  National  Monument  to  the  people,  Feb.  21, 1885. 


28  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

FEBRUARY  TWENTY-SECOND. 

1732  George  Washington  was  born  at  "Wakefield,  Westmoreland  County, 
Virginia  (New  Style)."  At  the  seat  of  Government,  and  in  every  State  in  the 
Union  (with  the  exception  of  six),  this  natal  day  is  a  legal  holiday,  and  in  every 
capital  of  the  world  is  coming  to  be  more  and  more  honored. 

1790  "  The  order  of  the  Society  of  the  Cincinnati n  celebrated  at  Philadel- 
phia the  birthday  of  Washington.  Many  distinguished  members,  led  by  Chief 
Justice  Thomas  McKean  of  Delaware,  marched  in  procession  to  the  Executive 
Mansion,  to  pay  their  respects  to  their  President  General. 

1796  A  motion  was  made  in  Congress  to  adjourn  in  honor  of  Washington's 
Birthday,  but  lost  by  a  few  disaffected  members  "  Making  a  plea  of  bad  prece- 
dent." This  becoming  known,  the  shouting  of  the  crowd  without  prevented  the 
speakers  being  heard,  and  forced  an  adjournment. 

1799  Washington's  adopted  daughter,  and  his  wife's  granddaughter,  Eleanor 
Parke  Custis,  was  married  at  Mount  Vernon  to  Major  Lawrence  Lewis,  son  of 
Washington's  only  sister  and  Colonel  Fielding  Lewis. 

1800  The  obsequies  of  George  Washington  were  officially  celebrated  at  the 
Capital  of  the  United  States,  and  observed  in  every  city  of  the  nation.  Eulogies 
were  pronounced  upon  him  throughout  the  civilized  world. 


"  Honored  and  loved — the  patriot — and  the  sage 
Born  for  thine  own  and  every  coming  age. 
Thy  country's  champion — Freedom's  chosen  son 
We  hail  thy  birthday — glorious  Washington." 

S.  F.  Smith,  D.  D.  {Author  of  "  My  Country,  'Tis  of  Thee"). 

FEBRUARY  TWENTY-THIRD. 

1782  Congress  resolved  "That  the  Commander-in-chief  be  authorized  to 
agree  to  the  exchange  of  Earl  Cornwallis  by  composition ;  provided  that  the 
Hon.  Henry  Laurens  be  liberated,  and  proper  assurance  obtained  that  all  ac- 
counts for  the  support  of  the  convention  of  prisoners,  and  all  other  prisoners  of 
war  shall  be  speedily  settled  and  discharged." 

1790  The  Tammany  Society,  or  The  Columbian  Order  (Monday),  "  Met  and 
resolved  that  for  ever  after,  this  society  will  commemorate  the  birthday  of  the 
illustrious  Washington  v —  a  patriotic  observance  that  is  never  neglected. 

1799  General  and  Mrs.  Washington  sent  out  invitations  to  a  dinner-party, 
to  be  given  at  Mount  Vernon  the  following  Tuesday,  in  compliment  to  "the 
couple  just  married,"  Major  and  Mrs.  Lawrence  Lewis.  The  bride  was  one  of 
the  most  attractive  of  the  many  rare  and  beautiful  women  of  the  dawn  of  the 
Republic.  A  pen-picture  of  Nellie  Custis  was  given  by  Latrobe,  just  arrived 
from  the  capitals  of  Europe,  who  said :  "  She  has  more  perfection  of  form,  of 
expression,  of  color,  of  softness,  and  of  firmness  of  mind  than  I  have  ever  seen 
before." 


Yet  has  no  mouth  a  prouder  day,  "For  this  chill  season  now  again 

Not  even  when  the  summer  broods  Brings  in  its  annual  rounds  the  morn 

O'er  meadows  in  their  fresh  array,  When  greatest  of  the  sons  of  men, 

Or  Autumn  tints  the  glowing  woods.  Our  glorious  Washington  was  born." 

William  Cullen  Bryant  (New  York). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  29 

FEBRUARY  TWENTY-FOURTH. 

1756  Colonel  Washington  remained  several  days  in  New  York,  the  guest  of 
Beverly  Robinson,  Esq.,  at  whose  house  he  met,  and  fell  in  love  with,  Mary 
Phillips  (afterward  Mrs.  Roger  Morris).  It  was  curious  enough  that  through 
the  fortunes  of  war  their  mansion  on  the  Hudson  became  the  headquarters  of 
the  Commander-in-chief. 

1781  General  Washington  from  headquarters,  New  Windsor,  wrote  Count 
de  Rochambeau:  "The  flattering  distinction  paid  to  the  anniversary  of  my 
birthday  is  an  honor  for  which  I  dare  not  attempt  to  express  my  gratitude :  I 
confide  in  your  Excellency's  sensibility  to  interpret  my  feelings  for  this,  and  for 
the  obliging  manner  in  which  you  are  pleased  to  announce  it." 

1794  President  Washington  sent  to  Rev.  James  Muir  his  annual  subscrip- 
tion of  fifty  pounds,  to  assist  in  the  education  of  the  poor  children  of  Alexan- 
dria, and  asked  that  instructor  if  he  could  give  any  report  of  those  who  had 
been  benefited  by  this  subscription;  for,  while  his  life  was  an  assurance  of  his 
generosity,  he  never  gave  unwisely.  By  his  will  he  left  the  sum  of  five  thou- 
sand dollars  for  this  charity,  "  for  the  sons  of  widows." 


"Washington,  although  born  with  every  superior  quality,  adds  to  them  an  imposing  modesty 
which  will  always  cause  him  to  be  admired  by  those  who  have  the  good  fortune  to  see  him.  As 
for  esteem  he  has  already  drawn  to  himself  that  of  all  Europe  .  .  .  Washington — the  Atlas  of 
your  country. "  Chevalier  de  Silly  (France). 

FEBRUARY  TWENTY-FIFTH. 

1779  Dr.  James  Thacher,  who  has  left  several  pen-portraits  of  Washington 
in  his  admirable  "  Military  Journal/7  dined  with  him  at  headquarters,  Middle- 
brook.  The  doctor  said:  "He  is  feared  even  when  silent,  and  beloved  even  when 
we  are  unconscious  of  the  motive.  In  conversation  his  Excellency's  expressive 
countenance  is  peculiarly  interesting  and  pleasing  j  a  placid  smile  is  frequently 
observed  on  his  lips,  but  a  loud  laugh,  it  is  said,  seldom  if  ever  escapes  him. 
He  is  polite  and  attentive  to  each  individual  at  table  and  retires  after  the  com- 
pliment of  a  few  glasses.  Mrs.  Washington  combines  in  an  uncommon  degree, 
great  dignity  of  manner  with  the  most  pleasing  affability,  but  possesses  no  strik- 
ing marks  of  beauty." 

1790  The  President,  having  moved  to  his  "new  habitation"  on  Broadway, 
was  occupied  in  the  arrangement  of  the  establishment.  He  thus  notes,  however, 
the  first  census  law :  "  In  the  afternoon  a  Committee  of  Congress  presented  an 
act  for  enumerating  the  inhabitants  of  the  United  States." 

1795  Joseph  Habersham,  of  Georgia,  nominated  by  President  Washington, 
was  confirmed  as  Postmaster-General  to  succeed  Timothy  Pickering,  appointed 
Secretary  of  War.    This  able  officer  remained  in  office  under  three  Presidents. 


"  The  figure  of  Washington  was  the  presentment  of  a  king ;  a  king  who  by  the  irony  of  fate 
was  just  then  waging  war  against  all  king-ship ;  a  ruler  of  men  who  just  then  was  fighting  for 
the  rights  of  these  men  to  govern  themselves ;  but  whom  by  his  own  right  he  dominated." 

Francis  Bret  Harte  (New  York). 


30  GEOKGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

FEBRUARY  TWENTY-SIXTH. 

1758  Colonel  "Washington  reached  Williamsburg,  having  been  detained  three 
weeks  at  his  mother's  home  by  pulmonary  fever.  The  purpose  of  this  journey 
was  to  demand  settlement  of  military  accounts.  During  his  stay  at  the  Capital 
the  House  of  Burgesses  increased  the  militia,  giving  bounty  for  recruits.  It  was 
en  route  from  Fredericksburg,  at  the  hospitable  mansion  of  Colonel  Chamberlain, 
that  the  young  officer  met  and  was  captured  by  the  charming  widow,  Mrs.  Mar- 
tha Dandridge  Custis. 

1776  In  council  of  war  at  Cambridge,  it  was  decided  to  march  upon  the 
enemy,  on  the  anniversary  of  the  Boston  massacre.  Washington  this  day  issued 
the  following  order:  "All  officers,  non-commissioned  officers,  and  soldiers  are 
positively  forbid  playing  at  cards  and  other  games  of  chance.  In  this  time 
of  public  distress  men  may  find  enough  to  do  in  the  service  of  their  God  and 
their  country  without  abandoning  themselves  to  vice  and  immorality ,n 

1784  To  his  nephew  Fielding  Lewis,  Washington  wrote:  "You  very  much 
mistake  my  circumstances  when  you  suppose  me  in  a  condition  to  advance 
money.  I  made  no  money  from  my  Estate  during  the  nine  years  I  was  absent 
from  it,  and  brought  none  home  with  me.  Those  who  owed  me  took  advantage 
of  the  depreciation  and  paid  me  off  with  six  pence  on  the  pound." 


"  Washington  was  parsimonious  of  the  blood  of  his  countrymen,  and  stood  forth  the  pure 
and  virtuous  champion  of  their  rights,  forming  for  them  (not  for  himself)  a  mighty  empire." 

ETkanah  Watson  (Massachusetts). 

FEBRUARY  TWENTY-SEVENTH. 

1747  The  earliest  plat  of  a  survey  by  Washington  is  a  crude  sketch  (still  in 
existence),  and  is  inscribed  by  him :  "A  plan  of  Major  Lawrence  Washington's 
Turnip  Field,  as  surveyed  by  me,  this  twenty-seventh  Day  of  February,  1747/8." 

1785  General  Washington  wrote  to  Governor  Patrick  Henry  declining  the 
150  shares  of  stock  voted  him  by  the  Assembly,  saying,  "  I  shall  ever  consider 
this  act  as  an  unequivocal  and  substantial  testimony  of  the  approving  voice  of 
my  country  for  the  part  I  have  acted  on  the  American  Theatre,  and  shall  feast 
upon  the  recollection  of  it  as  often  as  it  occurs  to  me ;  but  that  is  all  I  can,  or 
mean  to  do.  It  was  my  first  declaration  in  Congress  after  accepting  my  military 
appointment,  that  I  would  not  receive  anything  for  such  services  as  I  might  be 
able  to  render  the  cause  in  which  I  had  embarked." 

1791  To  Major  I/Enfant  the  Secretary  of  State  wrote  that  the  President, 
"  having  received  necessary  evidence "  of  his  refusal  to  accept  or  obey  orders 
issued  by  the  commissioners  of  the  Federal  Territory,  had  instructed  him  to 
say,  "your  services  are  at  an  end." 


"His  ability,  his  wisdom,  his  piety,  his  indomitable  energy  and  his  unselfish  patriotism  cer- 
tainly can  never  be  exceeded.  We  have  greatly  loved  Lincoln,  heartily  trusted  Grant,  but 
surely  our  souls  cleave  in  reverent  affection  above  all,  to  Washington." 

Oliver  Otis  Howard  ( U.  S.  Army). 


GEORGE   WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  31 

FEBRUARY  TWENTY-EIGHTH. 

1776  General  Washington  wrote  a  charming  note  of  thanks  to  "Miss  Phillis 
Wheatley,"  "  daughter  of  the  murky  Senegal/7  acknowledging  a  poem  she  had 
written  him,  saying,  "If  you  should  ever  come  to  Cambridge,  or  near  head- 
quarters I  shall  be  happy  to  see  a  person  so  favored  by  the  Muses,  and  to  whom 
nature  has  been  so  liberal  and  beneficent  in  her  dispensations."  In  1761  Phillis 
was  brought  a  child  from  Africa,  and  bought  in  the  slave-market  of  Boston  by 
Mr.  John  Wheatley,  whose  wife  with  every  care  developed  her  talents. 

1779  General  Knox  wrote  his  brother  a  description  of  the  ball  he  gave  at 
Pluckamin,  to  celebrate  the  alliance  between  France  and  America :  "  We  had 
about  seventy  ladies,  all  of  the  first  ton  in  the  state,  and  between  three  and  four 
hundred  gentlemen.  The  Commander-in-chief  mixed  with  unreserved  pleasure 
with  the  revellers  who  danced  all  night." 

1797  President  Washington  vetoed  an  act  to  ascertain  and  fix  the  military 
establishment  of  the  United  States ;  this  was  his  second  and  his  last  veto.  Con- 
gress enacted  new  measures  in  accord  with  his  views  in  both  vetoes. 


"  Fixed  are  the  eyes  of  nations  on  the  scales,     ''Lament  thy  thirst  of  boundless  power  too  late. 
For  in  their  hopes  Columbia's  arm  prevails,       Proceed,  great  chief,  with  virtue  on  thy  side, 
Anon  Britannia  droops  the  pensive  head  Thy  ev'ry  action  let  the  goddess  guide, 

While  round  increase  the  rising  hills  of  dead.     A  crown,  a  mansion  and  a  throne  that  shine, 
Ah!  cruel  blindness  to  Columbia's  state  With  gold  unfading,  Washington!  be  thine." 

Phillis  Wheatley  (1776). 

FEBRUARY  TWENTY-NINTH. 

1752  Major  George  Washington  paid  his  respects  to  the  Governor  after 
returning  from  the  Barbados.  He  wrote  to  his  brother  Lawrence:  "Waited 
upon  Governor  Dinwiddie  and  was  received  Graciously.  He  inquired  kindly 
after  the  health  of  myself,  and  brother,  and  invited  me  to  stay  and  dine." 

1780  General  Greene  wrote  from  Morristown :  "We  have  opened  an  as- 
sembly at  camp.  From  this  apparent  ease,  I  suppose  it  is  thought  we  must  be 
in  happy  circumstances.  I  wish  it  were  so,  but  alas  it  is  not.  Our  provisions 
are  in  a  manner  gone.  We  have  not  a  ton  of  hay  at  command,  nor  magazine 
to  draw  from.  Money  is  extremely  scarce,  and  worth  little  when  we  get  it.  We 
have  been  so  poor  in  camp  for  a  fortnight,  that  we  could  not  forward  the 
public  dispatches,  for  want  of  cash  to  support  the  expresses."  This  dancing- 
assembly  was  supported  by  thirty-five  officers  subscribing  eleven  dollars  each, 
Washington  heading  the  list.  It  is  evident  they  not  only  bravely  endured  their 
privations,  but  tried  to  cheer  each  other. 

1794  President  and  Mrs.  Washington,  at  the  Executive  Mansion,  Phila- 
delphia, gave  a  dinner  at  four  o'clock  to  a  party  of  distinguished  guests,  among 
whom  were  the  Hon.  John  Langdon  and  his  accomplished  wife. 


"His  lofty  character  heightened  the  value  of  every  service  he  rendered,  dignified  every 
honor  he  wore,  and  glorifies  the  reverence  the  world  bestows  his  memory."   John  G.  Nicolay. 


HARPSICHORD  AT  MOUNT  VERNON. 


»    •  • 

•    »  »     > 


MARCH  FIEST. 

1674  Mount  Vernon  was  embraced  in  the  original  patent  of  2,500  acres 
granted  to  Lieutenant-Colonel  John  Washington,  and  descended  intact,  until 
General  George  Washington,  by  will,  divided  it  among  his  heirs.  In  1856,  200 
acres,  on  the  river  and  immediately  surrounding  the  Mansion  House,  was  bought 
by  the  country  from  John  Augustine  Washington,  the  member  of  the  family  then 
in  possession,  through  the  "  Ladies7  Mount  Vernon  Association  of  the  Union." 
The  people  were  first  aroused  to  this  act  of  filial  piety  by  the  untiring  efforts  and 
patriotic  letters  of  Anna  Parmela  Cunningham  of  South  Carolina,  first  Regent 
of  the  association,  through  her  pen,  under  the  nom  de  plume  of  "  Southern  Ma- 
tron." She  was  earnestly  and  practically  aided  by  the  eloquent  addresses  of  Hon. 
Edward  Everett  of  Massachusetts.  This  association  of  devoted  representative 
women,  chosen  from  the  different  States,  sustain  and  guard  with  reverential  care 
the  home  and  tomb  of  Washington. 

1774  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Washington  received  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Parke  Cus- 
tis  and  their  bridal  train  at  Mount  Vernon.  "  The  Infair,"  or  the  festivity  upon 
bringing  home  the  bride,  was  handsomely  observed,  and  attended  by  a  large 
number  of  the  neighboring  gentry. 

1777  At  Morristown  the  following  official  announcement  was  made :  "Alex- 
ander Hamilton,  Esq.  is  appointed  Aide  de  camp  to  the  Commander  in  Chief, 
and  is  to  be  respected  and  obeyed  as  such." 

1778  "  The  Commander-in-chief  takes  occasion  to  return  his  warmest  thanks 
to  the  virtuous  officers  and  soldiery  of  this  army  for  the  persevering  fidelity  and 
zeal  which  they  have  uniformly  manifested  in  all  their  conduct.  The  recent 
instance  of  uncomplaining  patience  during  scarcity  of  provisions  in  camp  is  a 
fresh  proof  that  they  possessed  in  an  eminent  degree  the  spirit  of  soldiers  and 
the  magnanimity  of  patriots."     Orderly  Booh  ( Valley  Forge). 


1 '  There  dwelt  the  Man ,  the  flower  of  human  kind , 
Whose  visage  mild  bespoke  his  noble  mind, 
There  dwelt  the  Soldier,  who  his  sword  ne'er 

drew, 
But  in  a  righteous  cause  to  freedom  true. 
There  dwelt  the  Hero,  who  ne'er  fought  for 

fame, 
Yet  gained  more  glory  than  a  Caesar's  name  : 


u  There  dwelt  the  Statesman,  who  devoid  of  art, 
Gave  soundest  counsels  from  an  upright  heart, 
And  oh!  Columbia,  by  thy  son's  caress, 
There  dwelt  The  Father  of  the  realms  he  blest, 
Who  no  wish  felt  to  make  his  mighty  praise, 
Like  other  chiefs,  the  means  himself  to  raise, 
But  there,  retiring,  breathed  in  pure  renown, 
And  felt  a  grandeur  that  disdained  a  crown." 
Rev.  Wm.  Jay  (England). 


34  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


MARCH  SECOND. 


1776  "At  night  a  cannonade  and  bombardment  began  at  the  American 
works  on  Cobble  Hill,  and  Lechmere's  Point  on  the  Cambridge  side,  and  at 
Lamb's  Dam  on  the  Roxbury  side,  against  the  British  works,  and  a  number  of 
shells  were  thrown  into  Boston."  The  Commander-in-chief  was  preparing  to  take 
post  on  Dorchester  Point, — he  said  "  The  ground  being  so  hard  frozen  yet,  that 
we  can  not  intrench,  and  therefore  are  obliged  to  depend  entirely  upon  chande- 
liers, fascines,  and  screwed  hay  for  our  redoubts." 

1788  To  James  Madison,  Washington  said :  "  Liberty,  when  it  begins  to  take 
root,  is  a  plant  of  rapid  growth.  When  a  people  are  oppressed  with  taxes,  and 
have  a  cause  to  believe  that  there  has  been  a  misapplication  of  the  money,  they 
illy  brook  the  language  of  despotism." 

1797  President  Washington  wrote  to  his  dear  friend,  General  Knox:  "Al- 
though the  prospect  of  retirement  is  most  grateful  to  my  soul,  and  I  have  not  a 
wish  to  mix  again  in  the  great  world,  or  partake  of  its  politics,  yet,  I  am  not 
without  my  regrets  at  parting  (perhaps  never  more  to  meet)  the  few  intimates 
whom  I  love ;  among  them  be  assured  you  are  one."  The  President  this  day 
designated  the  public  reservations  in  Washington  city. 


"When  the  storm  of  battle  blows  darkest  and  rages  highest,  the  memory  of  Washington 
shall  nerve  every  American  arm  and  cheer  every  American  breast.  It  shall  re-illumine  that 
Promethean  fire,  that  sublime  flame  of  patriotism,  that  devoted  love  of  country,  which  his  words 
have  commended,  which  his  example  has  consecrated."  Bufus  Choate  (Massachusetts). 

MARCH  THIRD. 

1793  To  Dr.  David  Stuart,  Federal  commissioner,  Washington  wrote :  "I 
am  bold  in  assuring  you  that  no  fixed  salary  in  the  United  States  from  the 
Chief  Magistrate  to  the  Door-Keeper  of  the  House  of  Representatives  is  equal  to 
one  thousand  dollars  clear  of  expenses." 

1797  The  President  this  day  sent  to  the  commissioners  of  the  "Fed- 
eral City"  further  instructions,  which  was  his  last  official  act.  To  the  Secre- 
tary of  State,  Timothy  Pickering,  he  gave  rebutting  testimony  regarding  the 
"  Spurious  Letters,"  requesting  this  statement  be  placed  in  the  archives  "  for  the 
present  generation  and  for  posterity."  The  same  day  he  entertained  at  a  fare- 
well dinner  the  President-elect,  the  cabinet,  and  the  diplomatic  corps.  It  is 
recorded  that  Washington  was  in  happiest  mood  on  this  occasion,  rejoicing  at  his 
own  retirement  and  jesting  at  Mr.  Adams  "  entering  servitude." 

1799  George  Washington  of  Virginia  was  made  "  General  and  Commander- 
in-chief  of  the  Provisional  army  of  the  United  States."  Congress  abolished  the 
title  of  Lieutenant-General,  and  again  bestowed  upon  the  beloved  commander 
the  one  he  had  so  nobly  borne  during  the  Revolution. 


"And  lo!  from  Vernon's  sacred  hill,  "  Slept,  and  awoke,  his  conquering  arms, 

Where  peaceful  spirits  love  to  dwell —  The  Hero  comes!  whose  Laurels  green 

Where  twice  retired  from  war's  alarms,  In  bloom  eternal  shall  be  seen." 

Lemuel  Hopkins  (Connecticut),  1799. 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  35 


MARCH  FOURTH. 


1771  Washington  "reached  Winchester  to  dinner  according  to  appointment 
with  the  officers  &  ca  claiming  part  of  the  200,000  acres  of  land "  under  Gov. 
Dinwiddes  proclamation.     Washington's  Diary. 

1793  President  Washington  requested  his  cabinet  to  agree  upon  the  cere- 
mony of  his  second  inauguration,  as  no  mode  had  been  prescribed  by  the  Consti- 
tution. They  decided  that  the  oath  should  be  administered  by  Chief  Justice 
Cushing,  in  the  senate-chamber,  on  March  the  Fourth  at  noon  precisely ;  and  the 
President,  attended  by  such  gentlemen  as  he  might  select,  should  go  and  return 
without  form,  except  that  he  be  preceded  by  the  marshal.  "  Upon  his  departure 
from  the  House  the  people  could  no  longer  restrain  obeying  the  genuine  dictates 
of  their  hearts ;  they  saluted  him  with  three  cheers." 

1797  President  Washington  accompanied  Hon.  John  Adams  to  the  senate- 
chamber,  Philadelphia,  and  witnessed  the  inauguration  of  that  gentleman  as  the 
second  President  of  the  United  States — a  graceful  precedent  which  has  been 
generally  followed  by  retiring  executives. 


"An  Englishman  by  race  and  lineage,  he  concentrated  in  his  own  person  and  character  every 
best  trait  and  attribute  that  had  made  the  Anglo  Saxon  name  a  glory  to  its  children  and  a  terror 
to  its  enemies  throughout  the  world.  But  he  was  not  so  much  an  Englishman,  that,  when  the 
time  came  for  him  to  be  so,  he  was  not  even  more  an  American ;  and  in  all  that  he  was  and  did, 
a  patriot  so  exalted  and  a  leader  so  great  and  wise,  that,  what  men  called  him  when  he  came 
here  to  be  inaugurated  the  first  President  of  the  United  States,  the  civilized  world  has  not  since 
then  ceased  to  call  him — '  The  Father  of  his  Country/" 

Henry  C.  Potter,  D.  D.,  Bishop  of  New  York. 

MARCH  FIFTH. 

1756  Colonel  Washington,  who  had  arrived  in  Boston,  was  sustained  by 
Shirley  in  the  position  he  had  taken  in  regard  to  the  question  of  military  pre- 
cedence. There  is  a  legend  that  while  there  he  sat  for  a  miniature  to  the 
distinguished  artist  John  Singleton  Copley.  During  his  stay  of  ten  days  he 
attended  the  sessions  of  the  Legislature,  was  feted  by  prominent  citizens,  and 
handsomelv  entertained  by  the  Governor. 

1776  General  Washington  took  possession  of  Dorchester  Heights.  He  told 
his  men  to  "  Remember  it  is  the  anniversary  of  the  Boston  Massacre. — A  day 
never  to  be  forgotten. —  Avenge  the  death  of  your  brethren."  When  General 
Howe  next  morning  saw  the  Americans  intrenched,  he  exclaimed :  "  The  rebels 
have  done  more  in  one  night  than  my  men  would  have  done  in  a  month." 

1789  President  Washington  submitted  to  his  cabinet  the  letter  written 
him  by  Louis  XVI.  upon  receiving  a  copy  of  our  Constitution,  presented  in  the 
name  of  the  nation :  "  France  shall  henceforth  be  governed,  according  to  its 
principles,"  wrote  that  generous  monarch  who  was  soon  to  expiate  the  sins  of 
his  ancestors. 


"His  countrymen  are  charged  with  fond  idolatry  of  his  memory,  and  his  greatness  is 
pleasantly  depicted  as  a  mythological  exaggeration.  But  no  church  ever  canonized  a  saint 
more  worthily  than  he  is  canonized  by  the  national  affection,  and  to  no  ancient  hero,  "bene- 
factor, or  lawgiver  were  divine  honors  ever  so  justly  decreed  as  to  Washington  the  homage  of 
the  world."  George  William  Curtis  (New  York). 


36  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


MARCH   SIXTH. 


1760  Colonel  Washington,  interested  in  improvements  in  agricultural  imple- 
ments, wrote  in  his  diary  at  Mount  Vernon:  "Fitted  a  two-eyed  plow,  instead 
of  a  Duck  Bill  plow  and  with  Much  difficulty  made  my  chariot  wheelhorses 
plow."  He  also  notes,  "  Surveyed  Capt'  Poseys  Woodland."  This  survey  by 
Washington  has  recently  been  sold  as  a  valuable  autograph  manuscript. 

1781  The  Commander-in-chief  reached  Newport  and  was  received  as  a 
Marshal  of  France  by  Chevalier  des  Fouches  on  the  flag-ship  Due  de  Bourgoyne. 
The  purpose  of  this  visit  was  "  to  level  all  difficulties v  and  instruct  the  French 
admiral  with  the  hope  of  giving  help  to  Lafayette  in  his  Virginia  campaign. 
Rochambeau  conducted  his  illustrious  guest  from  the  ship  to  the  Vernon  House, 
his  headquarters.  The  town  was  illuminated ;  but  such  was  the  distress  that  the 
citizens  could  not  furnish  their  own  candles,  and  the  town  council  had  provided 
each  a  candle,  so  there  should  be  a  light  in  every  house. 

1786  Washington  notes  in  his  diary  at  Mount  Vernon:  "  Returned  to  the 
erection  of  my  deer  Paddock,  which  the  bad  weather  had  impeaded,  brought 
carts  from  the  Plantation  to  assist  in  drawing  in  the  materials  for  the  work." 
This  small  park  at  Mount  Vernon  is  under  the  bluff,  between  the  mansion  and 
the  river,  and  has  been  recently  reestablished. 


"I  have  never  seen  a  picture  that  represents  Washington  to  me  as  I  saw  him  at  Valley 
Forge,  and  during  the  campaigns  in  which  I  had  the  honor  to  follow  him.  Perhaps  that 
expression  was  beyond  the  skill  of  the  painter ;  but  while  I  live  it  will  remain  impressed  on  my 
memory."  Pierre  du  Ponceau  (France). 

MARCH   SEVENTH. 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief  enjoined  upon  his  army  to  remember  their 
pious  duty,  and  observe  this  day  set  apart  by  the  Massachusetts  Legislature  for 
fasting,  humiliation,  and  prayer.  The  Orderly  Book  of  the  following  morning 
contains  this  clause :  "  His  Excellency  the  General  returns  his  thanks  to  the 
militia  of  the  surrounding  districts,  for  their  spirited  and  alert  march  to  Rox- 
biiry,  last  Saturday  and  Sunday,  and  for  the  noble  ardor  they  discovered  in 
defence  of  the  cause  of  Liberty  and  their  country." 

1781  General  Washington  attended  a  ball  at  Newport  given  in  his  honor  by 
Count  de  Rochambeau  in  Mrs.  Cowley's  "Assembly  Rooms,"  which  he  opened  by 
request  of  the  host.  His  partner  was  the  beautiful  Miss  Margaret  Champlin, 
who  selected  the  dance  then  known  as  "A  Successful  Campaign,"  which  had 
happy  significance  before  the  close  of  the  year.  The  French  officers,  whom  the 
hero  of  the  New  World  from  the  first  seems  to  have  fascinated,  took  the  instru- 
ments from  the  musicians  and  played  while  Washington  and  his  lovely  partner 
danced  the  first  figure. 


"Washington  was  completely  the  representative  of  the  wants,  the  ideas,  the  knowledge,  and 
the  opinions  of  his  time ;  he  seconded  instead  of  thwarting  the  movement  of  mind ;  he  aimed 
at  that  which  it  was  his  duty  to  aim  at ;  hence,  the  coherence  and  perpetuity  of  his  work.  .  .  . 
My  name  probably  dwelt  not  a  day  in  his  memory.  Happy,  however,  that  his  looks  were  cast 
upon  me ;  I  have  felt  myself  warmed  for  it  all  the  rest  of  my  life.  There  is  a  virtue  in  the  looks 
of  a  great  man."  Chateaubriand  (France). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  37 

MARCH  EIGHTH. 

1779  Washington  wrote  from  Middlebrook  to  Lafayette,  in  Paris :  "  Nothing 
of  importance  has  happened  since  you  left  us,  except  the  enemies'  invasion  of 
Georgia,  and  possession  of  its  capital.  The  American  Troops  are  again  in  Hutts, 
but  in  a  more  agreeable  and  fertile  country,  than  they  were  in  last  Winter  at 
Valley  Forge ;  they  are  better  clad  and  more  healthy  than  they  have  ever  been 
since  the  formation  of  the  army.  We  are  happy  in  the  repeated  assurence  and 
proofs  of  the  friendship  of  our  great  and  good  ally,  whom,  we  hope  and  trust, 
ere  this,  may  be  congratulated  on  the  birth  of  a  Prince."  Lafayette,  in  conse- 
quence of  suffering  from  his  wound,  was  given  an  indefinite  leave  of  absence  by 
Congress,  and  the  American  minister  at  Versailles  was  instructed  in  the  name  of 
the  Congress  to  present  to  him  a  handsome  sword. 

1789  To  Benjamin  Harrison,  Washington  wrote:  "My  frendship  is  not  in 
the  least  lessened  by  the  difference,  which  has  taken  place  in  our  political  senti- 
ments, nor  is  my  regard  for  you  diminished  by  the  part  you  have  acted.  Men's 
minds  are  as  variant  as  their  faces,  and,  where  the  motives  to  their  actions  are 
pure,  the  operation  of  the  former  is  no  more  to  be  imputed  to  them  as  a  crime, 
than  the  appearance  of  the  latter ;  for  both,  being  the  work  of  nature,  are  equally 
unavoidable." 


"  He  can  compliment  a  friend  in  playful  happy  terms  on  his  marriage,  as  well  as  thunder 
his  demands  for  a  proper  attention  to  the  interests  of  the  country  at  the  doors  of  Congress. 
Never  vulgar,  he  frequently  uses  colloquial  phrases  with  effect,  and,  unsuspected  of  being  a 
poet,  is  fond  of  figurative  expressions."  Evert  A.  Duyckinck  (New  York). 

MARCH  NINTH. 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief  through  his  "secret  service"  received  infor- 
mation from  the  Selectmen  of  Boston  of  the  preparations  the  British  troops 
were  making  to  embark.  He  placed  a  battery  on  Nook's  Hill,  Dorchester  Point, 
from  which  was  sent  a  destructive  fire.  When  the  cannonade  was  opened,  it 
caused  great  surprise  and  alarm  in  the  town,  as  they  did  not  know  that  the 
Continentals  had  mortars  or  shells.  The  British  officers  conceded  that  the  shells 
were  well  directed,  causing  much  injury  and  distress,  as  a  large  number  of  the 
cannon-balls  passed  through  the  houses. 

1797  Ex-President  Washington  left  Philadelphia  for  Mount  Vernon,  ac- 
companied by  his  wife;  George  Washington  Lafayette,  whom  he  considered  and, 
being  relieved  from  executive  office,  could  now  claim  as  a  member  of  his  house- 
hold ;  his  adopted  children,  Eleanor  Parke  Custis,  age  eighteen,  George  Wash- 
ington Parke  Custis,  age  sixteen ;  secretaries,  clerks,  and  servants.  Washington 
said  it  was  his  third,  and  he  hoped  his  final,  retirement  from  public  life. 


"  It  seems  to  me  that  the  peculiarity  and  strength  of  Washington's  character  and  the  key  to 
his  success  is  the  great  self-possession  and  calmness  that  enabled  him  to  judge  and  to  act  with 
foresight  and  confidence  impossible  to  men  of  equally  forcible  traits,  who  were  less  disciplined 
and  self -controlled.  Other  men  have  had  a  great  military  genius,  more  intellectual  capacity, 
more  sympathetic  influence  over  men,  but  of  him  it  is  to  be  said,  '  Better  is  he  that  ruleth  his 
spirit  than  he  that  taketh  a  city.'"  Bose  Terry  Cooke  (Connecticut). 


38  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

MARCH  TENTH. 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief  received  instructions  from  Congress  to  de- 
stroy Boston  if  necessary,  and  John  Hancock,  the  patriotic  president  of  Con- 
gress, also  wrote  him  that,  although  he  had  important  property  in  the  city, 
"  not  to  hesitate  to  fire  upon  it.7'  Referring  to  the  probable  embarkation  of  the 
enemy,  Washington  said:  "I  shall  order  look-outs  to  be  kept  upon  all  the  head- 
lands, to  discover  their  movements  and  course,  and  moreover  direct  Commodore 
Manly  and  his  little  squadron  to  dog  them." 

1778  To  Lafayette,  Washington  wrote:  "You  seem  to  apprehend  that  cen- 
sure, proportioned  to  the  disappointed  expectations  of  the  world,  will  fall  on 
you,  in  consequence  of  the  failure  of  the  Canadian  expedition.  I  am  persuaded 
that  every  one  will  applaud  your  prudence  in  renouncing  a  project,  in  pursuing 
which  you  would  vainly  have  attempted  physical  impossibilities." 

1783  The  famous  "Newburg  Addresses"  were  distributed  in  camp,  with  cir- 
culars appointing  a  meeting  of  officers  the  following  day0  Although  national 
independence  had  really  been  achieved,  and  the  world  was  awaiting  the  new 
nation,  this  was  a  most  critical  period,  and  it  is  conceded  that  this  incident 
offered  the  greatest  opportunity  of  Washington's  military  career  for  the  exercise 
of  patience  and  diplomacy.    The  result  proved  he  was  equal  to  the  occasion. 


"Then  I  trembled  for  my  Country,  no  other  man  could  have  saved  it." 

General  Benjamin  Lincoln  (1783). 

MARCH  ELEVENTH. 

1748  Master  George  Washington,  aged  sixteen,  started  with  George  William 
Fairfax,  in  the  employ  of  Thomas,  Lord  Fairfax,  on  a  tour  of  survey  across  the 
Blue  Ridge  Mountains.  Noted  in  his  diary  that,  "  We  made  forty  miles  and 
dined  at  Mr.  George  Neavels,  Prince  William  County .* 

1778  General  Washington  wrote  to  his  lifelong  friend  George  William 
Fairfax,  in  London :  "  I  have  heard  nothing  from  you  these  four  years,  nor  been 
in  Virginia  these  last  three.  I  have  heard  and  fear  it  is  true,  that  your  seat 
(Belvoir)  is  verging  fast  to  destruction.  Lord  Fairfax,  as  I  have  been  told,  after 
having  bowed  down  to  the  grave,  and  in  a  manner  shaken  hands  with  Death,  is 
perfectly  restored,  and  enjoys  his  usual  good  health ;  and  as  much  vigor  as  falls 
to  the  lot  of  ninety." 

1783  The  Commander-in-chief  issued  a  general  order  censuring  the  "New- 
burg  Addresses,"  and  appointing  a  day  (15th,  at  12  o'clock)  to  meet  in  council 
and  consider  the  grievances  of  the  disaffected  officers.  He  requested  the  pres- 
ence of  general  and  field  officers,  and  one  officer  from  each  company. 


"  That  act  of  his  life,  of  all  others  the  most  important  to  his  country,  has  been  less  noticed 
than  almost  any  other ;  yet  it  was  then,  and  there,  that  he  again  saved  his  country  ;  under  all 
circumstances  more  threatening  than  any  that  had  preceded  them.  All  the  toil  that  had  been 
suffered,  all  the  blood  that  had  been  spilt,  would  have  been  suffered  and  spilt  in  vain,  but  for 
his  patriotism,  his  prudence,  and  his  matchless  wisdom,  when  the  arch  fiend  inspired  the  writer 
of  the  Newburgh  letters.  At  no  period  of  the  War  of  Independence,  were  the  liberties  of  our 
country  so  suspended  by  a  single  hair,  as  on  that  occasion  when  the  war  had  ceased." 

E.  S.  Tfiomas  (South  Carolina). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  39 

MARCH  TWELFTH. 

1778  To  Governor  Clinton,  "Washington  wrote :  "  The  hints  which  you  were 
pleased  to  give  of  missmanagement  in  the  North  River  command  came  also  from 
several  other  hands,  and  did  not  a  little  embarrass  me,  as  they  contained  charges 
rather  resulting  from  want  of  judgement  than  any  real  intention  to  do  wrong.  It 
is  much  to  be  lamented  that  we  should  have  officers  of  so  high  a  rank  as  to 
entitle  them  to  claim  separate  commands  with  so  moderate  a  share  of  abilities  to 
direct  them  in  the  execution  of  these  commands." 

1782  The  Commander-in-chief,  exceedingly  anxious  lest  Congress  be  lulled 
into  false  security,  in  a  letter  to  James  McHenry  of  Maryland,  said:  "Never 
since  the  commencement  of  the  present  revolution  has  there  been  in  my  judge- 
ment a  period,  where  vigorous  measures  were  more  consonant  to  sound  policy 
than  the  present.  The  speech  of  the  British  King,  and  the  addresses  of  the 
Lords  and  Commons,  are  proofs  as  clear  as  Holy  Writ  to  me  of  two  things  j  their 
wishes  to  prosecute  the  American  war,  and  their  fears  of  the  consequences." 


"Mighty  captains  and  leaders  of  nations  like  Washington  are,  after  all,  safe  from  belittling 
detraction.  In  their  solid  broad-based  greatness  they  stand  like  the  Egyptian  pyramids,  defying 
time  and  change,  and  human  impertinence  and  impiety.  Critical  cads  and  petty  iconoclasts 
may  scrawl  inanities  upon  them,  and  clip  tons  of  paper  weights  from  off  them,  without  causing 
serious  defacement  or  appreciative  loss.     They  are  granite,  they  are  porphyry." 

Grace  Greenwood  (New  York). 

MABCH  THIRTEENTH. 

1748  "Rode  to  his  Lordships  Quarters,  (Green way  Court,  seat  of  Lord  Fair- 
fax) about  four  miles  up  ye  river.  Went  through  most  beautiful  groves  of 
maple,  spent  ye  best  of  ye  day  admiring  ye  Trees  and  ye  richness  of  ye  land." 
Washington's  Diary. 

1778  In  reference  to  "  The  irruption  into  Canada,"  Washington  said:  "  I  wish 
all  the  men  in  the  upper  part  of  the  river  had  been  drawn  down  to  the  High- 
lands instead  of  being  kept  to  carry  on  an  expedition,  in  which  I  was  never  con- 
sulted, but  which  I  saw  from  the  beginning  could  never  succeed.  Those  who 
were  most  sanguine,  I  fancy,  now  see  the  impracticability  of  it." 

1781  Passing  through  Bristol,  returning  from  Newport,  the  Commander-in- 
chief  was  received  with  wild  enthusiasm.  "The  inhabitants  clad  in  their  best 
apparel,  stood  upon  either  side  of  the  street  according  to  their  sexes,  and  as  he 
passed  showed  their  respect  for  him  by  strewing  his  path  with  flowers,  ever- 
greens, &c,  accompanied  by  the  highest  marks  of  civility.  When  Washington 
reached  the  bridge  he  turned  to  the  inhabitants,  and  addressed  them  in  brief  but 
eloquent  manner." 


"He  was  not  an  orator,  not  even  a  great  talker,  a  man  of  few  words  in  public  and  private; 
he  was  not  a  man  of  great  learning  and  would  have  been  puzzled  to  know  what  some  of  our 
modern  philosophers  mean ;  he  was  not  a  brilliant  genius,  but  he  did  the  things  which  orators 
and  poets  and  historians  are  proud  to  chronicle.  His  strength  was  in  himself,  and  he  moved  the 
world  by  the  power  of  his  character."  Thomas  M.  Clark,  D.  D.,  Bishop  of  Rhode  Island. 


40  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


MARCH   FOURTEENTH. 


1755  Colonel  Washington,  at  Mount  Vernon,  received  from  General  Brad- 
dock,  through  his  aide-de-camp,  Captain  Orme,  an  invitation  u  To  join  his 
military  family."  In  accepting  he  said :  u  I  am  not  a  little  biassed  by  selfish 
considerations,  I  wish  earnestly  to  attain  some  knowledge  in  the  military 
profession." 

1778  The  Commander-in-chief,  relieving  Colonel  Radiere,  placed  Colonel 
Kosciusko  in  charge  of  the  fortification  at  West  Point.  So  well  did  this  accom- 
plished officer  perform  his  duties  that  Washington  said :  "  To  his  care  and  sed- 
ulous application  the  American  people  are  indebted  for  the  defenses  of  West 
Point." 

1781  General  Washington  passed  the  night  at  Providence  with  Jabez 
Bowen.  Upon  his  arrival  the  previous  evening,  he  was  surrounded  by  children 
bearing  torches;  they  crowded  around  him  and  called  him  "Father."  He 
pressed  the  hand  of  Count  Dumas  (his  escort  who  records  this  incident),  and  said 
with  great  emotion :  "  We  may  be  beaten  by  the  English,  it  is  in  the  chance  of 
war  j  but  behold  an  army  which  they  can  never  conquer." 


"Is  Mr.  Washington  among  your  acquaintances?  If  not,  I  recommend  you  to  embrace 
the  first  opportunity  to  form  his  friendship.  He  is  about  twenty-three  years  of  age ;  with  a 
countenance  both  mild  and  pleasant,  promising  both  wit  and  judgment.  He  is  of  comely  and 
dignified  demeanor,  at  the  same  time  displays  much  self  reliance  and  decision.  He  strikes  me 
as  being  a  young  man  of  extraordinary  and  exalted  character,  and  is  destined,  to  make  no 
inconsiderable  figure  in  our  country."  General  Edward  Braddock  {England),  1755. 

MARCH  FIFTEENTH. 

1779  General  Washington,  anxiously  scanning  the  characters  of  the  men 
who  at  this  critical  period  composed  the  legislative  body,  wrote  to  Governor 
Thomas  Nelson,  of  Virginia:  "It  gives  me  very  singular  pleasure  to  find  that 
you  have  again  taken  a  seat  in  Congress.  I  think  there  never  was  a  time  when 
cool  and  dispassionate  reasoning,  staid  attention  and  application,  great  integ- 
rity, and  if  it  were  in  the  nature  of  things,  unerring  wisdom,  were  more  to  be 
wished  for  than  at  the  present." 

1785  Of  Rumsey's  model  for  a  boat  propelled  by  steam2  Washington  says : 
"  A  view  of  his  model,  with  the  explanations,  removed  the  principal  doubt  I  ever 
had  in  my  mind  of  the  practicability  of  propelling  against  a  stream  by  the  aid  of 
mechanical  power ;  but  as  he  wanted  to  avail  himself  of  my  introduction  of  it  to 
the  public  attention,  I  chose  previously  to  see  the  actual  performance  of  the 
model  in  a  descending  stream  before  I  passed  my  certificate ;  and  having  done 
so,  all  my  doubts  were  satisfied." 


"Washington  seemed  to  come  to  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of  his  high  office  with  a  great 
sense  of  his  unfamiliarity  with  these  new  calls  upon  him,  modestly  doubtful  of  his  own  ability, 
but  trusting  implicitly  in  the  sustaining  helpfulness  and  grace  of  that  God  who  rules  the  world, 
presides  in  the  councils  of  nations,  and  is  able  to  supply  every  human  defect.  We  have  made 
marvelous  progress  in  material  things,  but  the  stately  and  enduring  shaft  that  we  have  erected 
at  the  National  Capital  at  Washington,  symbolizes  the  fact  that  he  is  still  the  First  American 
Citizen."  Benjamin  Harrison,  President  of  the  United  States. 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  41 

MARCH   SIXTEENTH. 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief  under  heavy  cannonading  pushed  the  fortifi- 
cations at  Nook's  Hill.  The  Continentals  coolly  stood  their  ground,  but  did 
not  stop  intrenching  to  return  the  fire. 

1783  General  Washington  wrote  to  the  president  of  Congress  of  the  meet- 
ing of  the  officers,  in  the  New  Building,  to  discuss  the  Newburg  Addresses,  Gen- 
eral Gates  presiding:  "It  has  terminated  in  a  manner  which  I  had  reason  to 
expect,  from  a  knowledge  of  that  good  sense  and  steady  patriotism  of  the  gentle- 
men of  the  army;  which  on  frequent  occasions  I  have  discovered."  Washington 
had  made  a  stirring  appeal  to  his  discontented  officers ;  and  a  legend  is  handed 
down  that  when  he  put  on  his  glasses  to  read  a  paragraph,  he  said :  "  You  see, 
gentlemen,  I  have  grown  blind  as  well  as  gray  in  the  service  of  my  country,  yet 
have  I  never  doubted  her  justice."  After  speaking,  the  Commander-in-chief  left 
the  hall,  that  the  officers  might  discuss  the  subject  without  embarrassment. 

1792  To  Governor  Pinckney,  of  South  Carolina,  he  said:  "I  was  in  hopes, 
that  motives  of  policy,  supported  by  the  direful  effects  of  slavery,  would  have 
operated  to  produce  a  total  prohibition  of  the  importation  of  slaves,  whenever 
the  question  came  to  be  agitated  in  any  state,  that  might  be  interested  in  the 


"Washington  understood  the  rights  of  mankind  and  the  essential  principles  of  civil  and 
religious  liberty,  and  on  these  safe  foundations,  he  created  our  splendid  political  fabric." 

Charles  Burroughs  {Maryland). 

MARCH  SEVENTEENTH. 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief,  with  his  staff  and  general  officers,  witnessed 
from  the  heights  of  Dorchester  the  evacuation  of  the  city  of  Boston  by  the  Brit- 
ish troops.  Out  of  compliment  to  the  Irish  soldiers  in  his  army,  "  St.  Patrick  " 
was  given  as  the  counter-sign,  and  General  John  Sullivan  was  appointed  officer 
of  the  day.  "In  honor  to  the  Tutelar  Saint  of  Hibernia,  the  Quartermaster- 
General  is  ordered  to  issue  to  the  Irish  soldiers  an  extra  gill  of  whiskey."  Wash- 
ington and  his  officers,  a  few  hours  after  the  departure  of  the  British,  attended 
thanksgiving  service  and  listened  to  Rev.  Dr.  Abiel  Leonard  preach  from 
Exodus  xiv.  25:  "And  took  off  their  chariot  wheels,  that  they  drave  them 
heavily :  so  that  the  Egyptians  said,  Let  us  flee  from  the  face  of  Israel ;  for  the 
Lord  fighteth  for  them"  against  the  Egyptians." 

1781  General  Washington  dined  with  Governor  Trumbull  at  Mr.  Piatt's, 
Hartford,  and  wrote  to  John  Hancock  his  regrets  at  not  being  able  to  be  in 
Boston  this  glorious  anniversary,  saying,  "The  important  operations,  which 
may  be  expected  from  the  southward,  made  it  necessary  for  me  to  return  as 
soon  as  possible  to  the  North  River." 


"If  the  title  of  great  man  ought  to  be  reserved  for  him  who  cannot  be  charged  with  an 
indiscretion  or  a  vice,  who  spent  his  life  in  establishing  the  independence,  the  glory  and  the 
durable  prosperity  of  his  country,  who  succeeded  in  all  he  undertook,  and  whose  successes  were 
never  won  at  the  expense  of  honor,  justice,  integrity,  or  the  sacrifice  of  a  single  principle,  that 
title  will  not  be  denied  Washington."  Jared  Sparks  (Massachusetts). 


42  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


MARCH  EIGHTEENTH. 


1776  General  Washington  took  formal  possession  of  Boston,  placing  it 
nnder  military  law ;  and  instituted  vigorous  sanitary  measures,  as  the  city  was 
in  a  distressing  condition  consequent  upon  a  long  siege.  He  issued  a  proclama- 
tion forbidding  the  return  of  citizens  until  Boston  had  been  thoroughly  cleaned 
and  protected  against  the  infection  of  smallpox. 

1783  "The  Commander-in-chief  is  highly  satisfied  with  the  report  of  the 
proceedings  of  the  officers  on  the  15th,  in  obedience  to  the  orders  of  the  11th. 
He  begs  his  inability  to  communicate  an  adequate  idea  of  the  pleasing  feelings 
which  have  been  excited  in  his  breast  by  the  affectionate  sentiments  expressed 
toward  him  on  that  occasion,  may  be  considered  as  an  apology  for  his  silence." 
Orderly  Booh  (Newburg). 

1786  Washington  notes  this  day  in  his  diary  at  Mount  Vernon,  "Got  the 
mound  on  the  left  so  far  completed  as  to  plant,  the  next  largest  of  my  weeping 
willows,  thereon."  The  week  previous  is  the  following :  "  Finished  the  mound 
on  the  right  and  planted  the  largest  weeping  Willow  in  my  nursery  in  the  center 
of  it  —  ground  too  wet  to  do  any  thing  to  the  other  Mound  on  the  left." 


"It  is  a  remarkable  fact,  that  from  his  youth  upward  he  evinced  military  capacity  beyond 
that  of  all  the  trained  and  experienced  officers,  with  whom  he  was  associated  or  brought  into 
conflict.  ...  In  final  contemplation  of  his  character  we  shall  not  hesitate  to  pronounce  Wash- 
ington the  greatest  of  good  men  and  the  best  of  great  men."  Edward  Everett  {Massachusetts). 

MARCH  NINETEENTH. 

1760  Colonel  Washington  placed  upon  record  such  practical  experiments 
from  time  to  time  as  he  made  in  plows.  "  Peter  (my  Smith)  and  I  after  several 
efforts  to  make  a  plow  after  a  new  model  partly  of  my  own  contriving,  was  feign 
to  give  it  out,  at  least  for  the  present." 

1776  General  Washington  wrote  from  Cambridge  to  the  president  of  Con- 
gress: "As  soon  as  the  Ministerial  troops  had  quitted  the  town,  I  ordered  a 
thousand  men  (who  had  had  the  small  pox)  under  command  of  General  Putnam 
to  take  possession  of  the  heights.  But  as  the  enemy  are  still  in  the  harbor,  I 
thought  it  not  prudent  to  march  off  with  the  main  body  of  the  army,  until  I 
should  be  satisfied  they  had  quitted  the  coast.  The  situation  in  which  I  found 
their  works  evidently  discovered  that  their  retreat  was  made  with  the  greatest 
precipitation." 

1779  General  Greene,  Colonel  Wads  worth,  and  the  officers  of  the  artillery 
gave  a  ball  at  MiddLebrook  in  compliment  to  the  Commander-in-chief.  General 
Greene  wrote  that  they  had  quite  a  lively  little  frisk,  "  and  that  General  Wash- 
ington and  Mrs.  Greene  danced  upwards  of  three  hours  without  once  sitting 
down." 


;  In  Heaven  and  Washington  we  placed  reliance, 
We  met  the  proud  Britons,  and  bid  them  defiance, 
The  cause  we  supported  was  just,  and  was  glorious, 
When  men  fight  for  freedom,  they  must  be  victorious." 

Francis  Hopkinson  (Pennsylvania). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  43 


MARCH  TWENTIETH. 


1775  Colonel  Washington  attended  the  second  Virginia  Convention,  held  at 
Richmond,  and  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  second  General  Congress,  to  meet 
in  Philadelphia.  He  was  one  of  the  enthusiastic  listeners  to  Patrick  Henry's 
eloquent  speech — "An  appeal  to  arms  and  the  God  of  Hosts  is  all  that  is  left  for 
us."  He  wrote  his  younger  brother,  John  Augustine,  encouraging  him  in  the 
effort  to  raise  a  company,  promising  to  review  it,  and  said :  "  It  is  my  intention 
to  spend  my  life  and  fortune  in  the  cause  we  are  engaged  in,  if  needful." 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief  at  the  head  of  the  main  body  of  the  army 
entered  Boston,  and  was  received  by  the  people  with  the  wildest  expressions  of 
joy  and  gratitude.  He  said :  "  The  town  although  it  has  suffered  greatly,  is  not 
in  so  bad  a  state  as  I  expected  to  find  it." 

1778  Washington,  in  special  order  to  General  Lacey,  said:  "Sunday  next 
being  the  time  on  which  the  Quakers  hold  one  of  their  general  meetings,  a  num- 
ber of  that  society  will  probably  be  attempting  to  go  into  Philadelphia.  This  is 
an  intercourse  that  we  should  by  all  means  endeavor  to  interrupt,  as  the  plans 
settled  at  these  meetings  are  of  most  pernicious  tendency.  I  would  therefore 
have  you  dispose  of  your  parties  in  such  a  manner  as  will  most  probably  fall  in 
with  these  people." 


"The  singular  trials,  virtues,  talents  and  services  of  our  hero  during  the  late  war,  are  best 
seen  in  his  official  letters."  David  Tappan,  D.  D.  (Massachusetts). 

MARCH  TWENTY-FIRST. 

1760  Colonel  Washington,  at  Mount  Vernon,  noted,  "  This  day  grafted  41 
cherry  trees,  12  magnum  bonum  plumbs  and  planted  4  nuts  of  the  Mediterra- 
nean pines.  The  cherries  and  plums  came  from  Colonel  Masons;  the  nuts 
from  Mr.  Greens." 

1782  General  Washington  and  his  wife,  the  French  minister,  and  Baron 
Steuben  attended  the  commencement  exercises  of  the  University  of  Pennsylva- 
nia, in  the  old  hall  on  Fourth  street  below  Arch,  Philadelphia.  The  audience 
was  large  and  distinguished,  including  the  members  of  Assembly  and  the  Su- 
preme Executive  Council  of  the  State. 

1791  President  Washington  left  Philadelphia  for  Mount  Vernon,  where 
after  a  short  and  much  needed  repose  he  started  on  his  Southern  tour.  He  re- 
ceived from  officials  and  citizens  of  Maryland  every  mark  of  respect  and  affec- 
tion, and  all  seemed  to  vie  "with  each  other  to  make  their  distinguished  guest 
sensible  of  the  gratitude  of  a  free  and  enlightened  people." 


"The  mind  of  Washington  was  eminently  practical ;  his  perceptive  faculties  were  strongly- 
developed;  the  sense  of  beauty  and  the  power  of  expression,  those  endowments,  so  large  in  the 
scholar  and  the  poet,  were  the  least  active  in  his  nature ;  but  the  observing  powers  whereby 
space  is  measured  at  a  glance  and  the  physical  qualities  noted  correctly,  the  reflective  instincts 
through  which  just  ideas  of  facts  and  circumstances  are  realized.  These  noble  and  efficient 
properties  eminently  distinguished  his  mental  organization  and  were  exhibited  as  its  normal 
traits  from  childhood  to  age."  Henry  Theodore  Tuckerman  (Massachusetts). 


44  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

MARCH  TWENTY-SECOND. 

1776  General  Washington  issued  a  command  from  Cambridge,  that  all  offi- 
cers of  the  Continental  army  should  assist  the  civil  authorities  in  preserving 
good  order.  The  colonels  were  officially  notified  that  "  they  would  be  held  re- 
sponsible for  any  damage  done  the  Barracks,"  which  were  the  University 
Buildings. 

1781  Washington,  from  New  Windsor,  wrote  to  Joseph  Willard,  correspond- 
ing secretary  of  the  American  Academy  (Boston) :  "  I  am  much  indebted  to  you 
for  announcing  my  election,  as  a  member  of  the  American  Academy  of  Arts 
and  Sciences.  I  feel  myself  particularly  honored  by  this  relation  to  a  Society, 
whose  efforts  to  promote  useful  knowledge  will,  I  am  persuaded,  acquire  them  a 
high  reputation  in  the  literary  world." 

1 783  In  the  Orderly  Book,  Newburg,  appears  the  following :  u  In  justice  to  the 
zeal  and  ability  of  the  Chaplains,  as  well  as  to  his  own  feelings,  the  Commander- 
in-chief  thinks  it  a  duty  to  declare  that  the  regularity  and  decorum  with  which 
Divine  Service  is  performed  every  Sunday,  will  reflect  great  credit  on  the  army 
in  general,  tend  to  improve  the  morals,  and  at  the  same  time  increase  the  happi- 
ness of  the  soldiery,  and  must  afford  the  most  pure,  rational  entertainment  for 
every  serious  and  well  disposed,  mind." 


"  As  civilization  shall  perfect  itself  and  character  become  the  basis  of  renown,  the  fame  of 
George  Washington  will  increase,  and  he  will  stand  forth  a  grand  Doric  column,  simple  and 
sublime."  Elizabeth  OaJces  Smith  (Maine). 

MARCH  TWENTY-THIRD. 

1748  George  Washington's  "Journal  of  Survey"  (at  the  age  of  sixteen) 
has  the  following  description  of  an  Indian  war-dance :  "  They  clear  a  Large 
circle  &  make  a  great  Fire  in  ye  middle.  Men  seat  themselves  around  it.  Ye 
speaker  makes  a  grand  speech.  After  he  has  finished  ye  best  Dancer  jumps  up 
as  one  awaked  out  of  a  sleep,  &  Runs  &  Jumps  about  ye  Ring  in  a  most  cornicle 
manner.  Ye  musick  is  a  Pot  half  full  of  water,  with  a  Deerskin  stretched  over 
it,  &  a  goard  with  some  shot  in  it  to  rattle,  &  a  Piece  of  an  horse's  tail  tied  to  it 
to  make  it  look  fine." 

1793  There  was  a  general  fear  that  the  United  States  would  be  drawn  into 
foreign  complications.  The  President  said :  "  All  our  late  accounts  from  Europe 
hold  up  the  expectation  of  a  general  war.  I  ardently  wish  we  may  not  be  forced 
into  it  by  the  conduct  of  other  nations.  If  we  are  permitted  to  improve  without 
interruption  the  great  advantages,  which  nature  and  circumstances  have  placed 
within  our  reach,  many  years  will  not  revolve,  before  we  may  be  ranked  among 
the  most  responsible,  and  happiest  people  on  this  globe." 


"  Few  men  who  have  earned  for  themselves  a  celebrated  name  in  the  history  of  the  world 
exhibit  such  a  harmony,  such  a  concordant  symmetry  of  all  the  qualities  calculated  to  render 
himself  and  others  happy,  as  Washington ;  and  it  has  been  very  appropriately  observed  that, 
like  the  masterpieces  of  ancient  art, — he  must  be  the  more  admired  in  the  aggregate,  the  more 
closely  he  is  examined  in  detail."  George  von  Eaumer  (Holland). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  45 

MARCH  TWENTY-FOURTH. 

1778  The  Commander-in-chief  reported  from  Valley  Forge :  "  As  it  is  not 
improper  for  Congress  to  have  some  idea  of  the  present  temper  of  the  army,  it 
may  not  be  amiss  to  remark  in  this  place,  that,  since  the  month  of  August  last, 
between  two  and  three  hundred  officers  have  resigned  their  commissions,  and 
many  others  were  with  difficulty  dissuaded  from  it." 

1791  The  President  and  secretary  embarked  at  Rock  Hall,  Eastern  Shore, 
for  Annapolis.  There  was  a  severe  storm;  the  boat,  being  badly  managed,  ran 
ashore  at  the  mouth  of  the  Severn  River,  where  they  remained  in  peril  and  ex- 
treme discomfort  until  morning.  Governor  Howell  and  the  citizens  who  were 
prepared  to  receive  him  felt  great  uneasiness. 

1799  General  Washington  in  a  letter  to  Dr.  Thornton,  one  of  the  commis- 
sioners of  the  Federal  Territory,  regarding  his  secretary,  Colonel  Tobias  Lear, 
who  was  suffering  with  rheumatism  in  his  feet,  said :  u  It  would  be  well  for  him 
to  remain  in  the  Federal  City  as  long  as  he  could  derive  benefit  to  his  under- 
standing from  your  friendly  perscriptions." 


"  Every  citizen  of  these  states,  will  be  penetrated  with  astonishment  and  kindled  into 
thanksgiving,  when  he  reflects  that  our  globe  had  existed  6000  years  before  Washington  ap- 
peared in  the  theatre  of  the  world ;  and  that  he  was  then  destined  to  appear  in  America,  to  be 
the  ornament,  the  deliverer,  the  protector,  the  delight."  Rev.  Dr.  Wharton  (New  Jersey). 

MARCH  TWENTY-FIFTH. 

1776  On  the  resolution  of  John  Adams,  Congress  voted  unanimously  that 
the  thanks  of  the  country  be  tendered  to  the  Commander-in-chief,  and  that  a  gold 
medal  be  presented  to  him,  commemorative  of  the  evacuation  of  Boston.  This 
medal  was  executed  in  Paris  by  Duvivier  under  the  supervision  of  Thomas  Jef- 
ferson and  Colonel  Humphreys,  and  presented  to  Washington  in  1786.  It  was 
purchased  from  a  member  of  the  Washington  family  by  fifty  citizens  of  Boston, 
and  on  the  centenary  of  the  evacuation  presented  to  the  city,  and  is  now  de- 
posited in  the  public  library.  This  medal  is,  and  must  forever  remain,  the  most 
significant  medallic  memorial  of  this  country. 

1779  In  Reading,  Mass.,  at  a  public  festival  of  the  American  Union  Lodge, 
the  first  toast  given  was,  "  General  Washington,"  and  the  second  was,  drunk  in 
silence,  standing,  to  "  The  memory  of  Warren,  Montgomery  and  Wooster,  three 
distinguished  Masons  who  had  fallen  on  the  battle-fields  of  the  Revolution." 
A  toast  to  Washington  from  this  date  has  been  the  first  in  order  in  all  Masonic 
festivals. 

1790  The  new  Trinity  Church,  New  York,  was  consecrated ;  Bishop  Samuel 
Provoost  officiated.  The  President,  Mrs.  Washington,  and  their  two  children 
occupied  a  handsomely  draped  pew,  which  the  wardens,  John  Jay  and  James 
Duane,  had  selected  and  arranged  for  the  Executive  family. 


' '  George  Washington  was  a  nobleman  by  birth  and  nurture  f   a  warrior  of  warriors ;    a 
statesman  of  statesmen,  but  it  was  his  crowning  glory  that  he  was  a  Christian." 

Richard  Hooker  Wilbur,  Bishop  of  Alabama. 


46  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

MARCH  TWENTY-SIXTH. 

1781  The  Commander-in-chief  wrote  to  General  Armstrong :  u  The  many 
remarkable  interpositions  of  the  divine  Government  in  the  hours  of  our  deepest 
distress  and  darkness,  have  been  too  luminous  to  suffer  me  to  doubt  the  happy 
issue  of  the  present  contest,  but  the  period  for  its  accomplishment  may  be  too  far 
distant  for  a  person  of  my  years,  whose  morning  and  evening  hours  and  every 
moment,  pants  for  retirement  and  for  those  domestic  and  rural  enjoyments  which 
in  my  estimation  far  surpass  the  highest  pageantry  of  this  world." 

1789  General  Washington,  having  assurance  that  he  was  the  people's  choice 
for  Chief  Executive,  made  every  preparation  to  respond  to  the  summons  of  Con- 
gress to  take  the  Executive  office.  He  wrote  his  nephew  Robert  Lewis:  "I 
have  selected  you  to  escort  your  aunt  to  Philadelphia,  and  you  will  be  advised 
by  your  cousin  George  Washington,  in  time  to  be  at  Mount  Vernon  and  com- 
mence your  Squire-ship." 

1798  Washington,  in  explaining  why  the  department  buildings  were  located 
so  far  from  the  Capitol,  said :  "  It  was  the  universal  complaint  of  them  all,  that 
while  the  Legislature  was  in  session,  they  could  do  little  or  no  business ;  so  much 
were  they  interrupted  by  the  individual  visits  of  members  (in  office  hours)  and 
by  calls  for  papers.  Many  of  them  have  declared  to  me,  that  they  have  been 
obliged  often  to  go  home  and  deny  themselves  in  order  to  transact  the  current 
business." 


"His  mind  was  altogether  practical,  commanding  and  original." 

Thomas  Caldwell,  M.  D.  (New  York). 

MAECH  TWENTY-SEVENTH. 

1760  In  consequence  of  his  wife's  delicate  health,  following  a  severe  attack 
in  January  of  measles,  accompanied  with  serious  complications,  Washington  re- 
mained chiefly  at  home,  not  even  going  to  Williamsburg,  and  this  entry  gives  a 
sample  of  the  manner  he  was  occupied :  "  Set  my  plow  to  work  and  found  she 
answered  very  well  in  the  lower  pasture,  w'ch  I  this  day  began  plowing  with 
the  large  bay  mare  and  Rankin.  Agreed  to  give  Mr.  Wm  Triplet  £18  to  build 
me  two  houses  in  the  front  of  my  house  (plastering  them  also,)  and  running 
walls  for  palisades  to  them  from  the  great  house,  and  from  the  great  house  to 
the  wash  house  and  kitchen  also." 

1779  From  Middlebrook,  Washington  wrote  to  his  friend  George  Mason : 
"  I  view  things  very  differently,  I  fear,  from  what  the  people  in  general  do,  who 
seem  to  think  the  contest  at  an  end,  and  to  make  money,  and  to  get  places  the 
only  thing  now  remaining  to  do.  I  have  beheld  no  day  since  the  commence- 
ment of  hostilities,  that  I  have  thought  her  liberties  in  such  imminent  danger 
as  at  Present." 


"  Washington  was  grave  in  manners  but  perfectly  easy.  There  was  a  commanding  air  in 
his  presence  which  compelled  respect,  and  forbade  too  great  a  freedom  towards  him,  indepen- 
dently of  that  species  of  awe  which  is  always  felt  in  the  moral  influence  of  a  great  character. 
In  every  movement,  too,  there  was  a  polite  gracefulness  equal  to  any  met  with,  in  the  most 
polished  individuals  in  Europe,  and  his  smile  was  extraordinarily  attractive.  It  was  observed 
to  me  there  was  an  expression  in  Washington's  face  that  no  painter  had  succeeded  in  taking." 

William  Hazlitt  (England). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  47 

MARCH  TWENTY-EIGHTH. 

1774  Colonel  Washington  was  chosen  vestryman  of  Fairfax  Parish,  Christ 
Church,  Alexandria,  Va.  He  made  this  entry  in  his  diary  at  Mount  Vernon : 
"Bought  at  Alexandria  the  sloop  Ann  and  Elizabeth  for  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five  pounds." 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief,  accompanied  by  his  suite  and  the  general 
officers,  the  General  Assembly  of  Massachusetts,  the  Boston  City  Council,  and 
other  civil  officials,  attended,  in  a  body,  the  "Thursday  Lecture  *  at  the  Old  Brick 
Meeting  House.  Dr.  Andrew  Eliot  delivered  a  thanksgiving  sermon.  This 
divine  had  remained  in  Boston  during  the  siege,  and  gave  the  General  a  very 
interesting  account  of  his  experiences.  After  the  service  the  notables  dined 
together  at  the  "Bunch  of  Grapes,"  where  dinner  was  provided  by  the  city. 
"  Joy  and  gratitude  sat  on  every  countenance,  and  smiled  in  every  eye." 

1778  "The  Baron  Steuben,  a  Lieutenant-General  in  foreign  service,  and  a 
gentleman  of  great  military  experience,  having  obligingly  undertaken  to  exer- 
cise the  office  of  Inspector-General  in  the  Army,  the  Commander-in-chief,  till 
the  pleasure  of  Congress  be  known,  desires  he  may  be  respected  and  obeyed  as 
such,  and  hopes  and  expects  that  all  officers,  of  whatever  rank,  will  afford  him 
every  aid  in  their  power  in  the  execution  of  his  office."  Orderly  Booh  ( Valley 
Forge). 


"  By  an  instinct  which  is  unerring  we  call  Washington,  with  grateful  reverence,  '  The  Father 
of  His  Country.7"        .  William  ffllery  Channing,  D.  D.  {Rhode  Island). 

MARCH  TWENTY-NINTH. 

1776  General  Washington,  at  Cambridge,  received  an  address  from  the 
ic  General  Assembly  of  Massachusetts  Bay."  He  wrote  the  following  character- 
istic instructions  to  Major-General  Putnam  in  ordering  him  to  New  York: 
"  Upon  your  arrival  there,  you  will  assume  the  command,  and  immediately  pro- 
ceed in  continuing  to  execute  the  plan  proposed  by  Major-General  Lee,  for  forti- 
fying that  city,  and  securing  the  passes  of  the  East  and  North  Rivers.  Your 
long  service  and  experience  will,  better  than  any  particular  directions  at  this  dis- 
tance, point  out  to  you  the  works  most  proper  to  be  first  raised ;  and  your  perse- 
verance, activity  and  zeal  will  lead  you,  without  my  recommending  it,  to  exert 
every  nerve  to  disappoint  the  enemy's  designs." 

1777  Washington  was  encouraged  by  the  arrival  at  Philadelphia  of  11,000 
stands  of  French  arms,  "which  with  those  recently  received  at  Portsmouth 
would  make  our  supply  respectable."  He  was  also  gratified  by  an  assurance 
from  Rev.  Dr.  Kirkland,  Oneida  missionary,  "  that  the  evidence  of  friendship 
from  France  would  probably  keep  several  of  the  Indian  nations  neutral." 


"After  the  glorious  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  Congress  sent  an  officer  to  command  the  Armies, 
who  had  seen  war  in  a  former  epoch,  and  who  had  conciliated  all  the  spirits  in  Congress,  and  in 
the  Provincial  assemblies  by  his  sagacity,  his  ability,  his  firm  moderation  and  temperance  in  all 
things,  and  who  more  recently  has  become  a  great  man,  and  as  one  has  said,  'the  greatest  of 
great  men : '  that  officer  was  Washington."  Sismondi  (France). 


48  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

MARCH  THIRTIETH. 

1783  General  Washington  thanked  Congress  "for  the  communication  which 
you  have  been  pleased  to  make  to  me,  and  the  army,  of  the  glorious  news  of  a 
general  peace."  These  despatches  were  sent  from  Paris  by  the  Marquis  de 
Lafayette,  on  the  armed  frigate  Triomphe,  which  was  permitted  by  the  French 
monarch  to  bear  the  tidings  to  America,  that  the  commissioners  at  Paris  had 
on  January  20th  signed  the  General  Treaty  of  Peace.  To  General  Greene,  he 
said :  "  It  remains  only  for  the  States  to  be  wise,  and  to  establish  their  inde- 
pendence on  the  basis  of  an  inviolable  efficacious  union,  and  a  firm  confederation, 
which  may  prevent  their  being  made  the  sport  of  European  policy." 

1791  President  Washington  personally  inspected  the  land,  met  the  land- 
holders, and  convinced  them  that  it  was  to  their  interest  to  make  concessions, 
and  issued  from  Georgetown  the  proclamation  fixing  the  boundary  lines  of  the 
Federal  District,  ten  miles  square,  "  on  the  banks  of  the  Potomac  where  the  seat 
of  government  should  be  permanently  located."  The  landholders  agreed  to  sur- 
render one  half  of  the  lands  they  held,  on  condition,  "  that  for  the  squares  for 
public  buildings,  they  shall  be  paid  25  pounds  per  acre,  and  when  the  whole  shall 
be  surveyed  and  laid  off  as  a  city  by  Major  L'Enfant,  the  present  proprietors 
shall  retain  every  other  lot."  Later  they  wished  to  dictate  what  use  should  be 
made  of  the  public  squares.    Washington  said :  "  This  is  absurd." 


"His  fame,  bounded  by  no  country,  will  be  confined  to  no  age." 

Sir  William  Hamilton  (England). 

MARCH  THIRTY-FIRST. 

1754  Major  Washington  at  Alexandria  received  a  commission  as  lieutenant- 
colonel,  from  Governor  Dinwiddie,  bearing  date  the  fifteenth.  Two  days  later 
he  left  with  two  companies  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  to  join  Captain  Trent 
as  an  advance-guard  of  Colonel  Fry's  expedition  to  the  Ohio,  to  erect  forts  and 
defend  the  British  possessions. 

1776  To  his  brother  John,  the  Commander-in-chief  wrote :  "  The  enemy  left 
all  their  works  standing  in  Boston  and  on  Bunker's  Hill ;  and  formidable  they 
are.  The  town  has  shared  a  much  better  fate  than  was  expected,  the  damage 
done  to  the  houses  being  nothing  equal  to  report.  But  the  inhabitants  have 
suffered  a  good  deal,  in  being  plundered  by  the  soldiery  at  their  departure." 
Referring  to  the  Tories,  he  said :  "  One  or  two  have  done,  what  a  great  number 
ought  to  have  done  long  ago,  committed  suicide." 

1779  Washington  from  Middlebrook  wrote  to  James  Warren  in  Massachu- 
setts :  "  Let  vigorous  measures  be  adopted,  to  punish  speculators  f orestallers  & 
extortioners,  and  above  all  to  sink  the  money  by  heavy  taxes,  to  promote  public 
&  private  economy  and  to  encourage  manufactures.  Measures  of  this  sort,  gone 
heartily  into  by  the  several  states  would  strike  at  once  at  the  root  of  all  our 
evils,  and  give  the  coup  de  grace  to  the  British  hope,  of  subjugating  this  conti- 
nent either  by  their  arms  or  their  acts." 


The  want  of  the  age  is  a  European  Washington."  Lamartine  (France). 


Drawn  by  DkLance*  W.  Gill. 


FEDERAL  HALL,  NEW  YORK,  1789. 
After  an  old  print. 


APRIL  FIRST. 

1777  When  Elias  Boudinot,  the  devoted  philanthropist,  refused  to  accept 
the  position  of  "  Commissary  of  Prisons,"  Washington  from  Morristown  replied : 
u  I  have  nothing  in  view,  but  the  Salvation  of  this  Country  •  but  it  is  impossible 
to  accomplish  it  alone,  and  if  men  of  character  and  influence  will  not  come  for- 
ward and  join  in  my  exertions  all  will  be  lost."  Upon  this  appeal  Mr.  Boudinot 
undertook  the  onerous  duties,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  a  man  better  adapted  for  the 
work  could  have  been  selected.  Congress  appointed  him  u  Commissary-General 
of  Prisoners,"  with  a  colonel's  pay,  and  permitted  him  to  choose  two  assistants. 

1782  The  Commander-in-chief  having  arrived  the  night  before  at  Newburg 
from  Philadelphia,  where  he  had  been  in  consultation  with  Congress  since  the 
26th  of  November,  was  welcomed  most  cordially  by  officers  and  soldiers. 

1787  With  evident  gratification  General  Washington  notes :  "  In  the  even- 
ing one  Young,  who  lives  on  Col.  Ball's  place,  a  farmer,  came  here  to  see,  he 
says,  my  drill  plow  &  staid  all  night."  Washington  left  no  statement  of  having 
his  plows  patented ;  but  notes  in  the  following  autumn :  "  A  packing  box  for  a 
plow  model,  one  hundred  and  fifty  nails  used  in  making  box." 

1789  To  General  Knox,  Washington  wrote :  "  My  movements  to  the  chair  of 
government  will  be  accompanied  by  feelings,  not  unlike  those  of  a  culprit,  who 
is  going  to  the  place  of  his  execution  j  so  unwilling  am  I,  in  the  evening  of  a 
life  nearly  consumed  in  public  cares,  to  quit  a  peaceful  abode  for  an  ocean  of 
difficulties,  without  that  competency  of  political  skill,  abilities,  and  inclination, 
which  are  necessary  to  manage  the  helm.  I  am  sensible  that  I  am  embarking 
the  voice  of  the  people,  and  a  good  name  of  my  own  on  this  voyage ;  but  what 
returns  will  be  made  for  them,  Heaven  alone  can  foretell.  Integrity  and  firmness 
are  all  I  can  promise." 


"  The  character  of  Washington  may  want  some  of  those  poetical  elements  which  dazzle 
and  delight  the  multitude,  but  it  possessed  fewer  inequalities  and  a  rarer  union  of  virtues  than 
perhaps  ever  fell  to  the  lot  of  one  man.  Prudence,  firmness,  sagacity,  moderation,  an  overrul- 
ing judgment,  an  immovable  justice,  courage  that  never  faltered,  patience  that  never  wearied, 
truth  that  disdained  all  artifice,  magnanimity  without  alloy.  It  seems  as  if  Providence  had 
endowed  him  in  a  pre-eminent  degree  with  the  qualities  requisite  to  fit  him  for  the  high  destiny 
he  was  called  upon  to  fulfill.  The  fame  of  Washington  stands  apart  from  every  name  in  his- 
tory :  shining  with  a  truer  light  and  a  more  benignant  glory.  .  .  .  Glory,  that  blatant  word 
which  haunts  so  many  military  minds  like  the  bray  of  the  trumpet,  formed  no  part  of  his  aspi- 
rations. To  aot  justly  was  his  instinct,  to  promote  the  public  weal  his  constant  effort,  to  de- 
serve the  affection  of  good  men,  his  ambition."  Washington  Irving  (New  York). 

4  49 


50  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

APRIL   SECOND. 

1748  George  Washington  when  surveying  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley  noted 
in  his  journal :  "  Last  night  was  a  blowing  rainy  night.  Our  straw  catch'd  a 
Fire,  we  were  laying  upon.  We  did  two  Lots  &  was  attended  by  a  great  Com- 
pany of  People,  men,  women,  &  children,  that  attended  us  through  ye  woods 
as  we  went,  shewing  their  antick  tricks.  I  really  think  they  seem  to  be  as  igno- 
rant a  set  of  people  as  the  Indians.  They  would  never  speak  English  but  when 
spoken  to,  they  speak  all  Dutch." 

1755  Mary  Washington  came  to  Mount  Vernon  alarmed,  having  heard  her 
son  thought  of  joining  the  Braddock  expedition.  Colonel  Washington  wrote 
this  day  Captain  Orme  at  Alexandria,  inclosing  "  a  small  map  of  the  back  coun- 
try, which  though  imperfect,  and  roughly  drawn,  for  want  of  proper  instruments, 
may  give  you  a  better  knowledge  of  the  parts  designated  than  you  have  hitherto 
had  an  opportunity  of  acquiring." 


"  I  made  the  war,  which  has  proved  so  fatal  to  my  country,  that  the  treaty  entered  into 
long  ago  with  father  Washington  might  not  be  broken.  To  his  friendly  arm  I  hold  fast.  I  will 
never  break  that  chain  of  friendship  we  made  together,  and  which  bound  us  to  stand  to  the 
United  States.  He  was  a  father  to  the  Muscoga  people ;  and  not  only  to  them,  but  to  all  the 
people  beneath  the  Sun.  His  talk  I  now  hold  in  my  hand.  The  British  can  no  more  persuade 
us  to  do  wrong ;  they  have  deceived  us  once,  and  can  deceive  us  no  more.  You  are  two  great 
peoples.  If  you  go  to  war,  we  will  have  no  concern  in  it.  I  talk  thus,  knowing  that  Father 
Washington  advised  us  never  to  interfere  in  wars.  He  told  us  that  those  in  peace  were  the 
happiest  people.  He  told  us  that  if  the  enemy  attacked  him,  he  had  warriors  enough,  and  did 
not  wish  his  red  children  to  help  him."  Big  Warrior  to  General  Jackson  (1814). 

APRIL  THIRD. 

1773  Colonel  Washington  wrote  from  Mount  Vernon  to  Benedict  Calvert, 
Esq.,  approving  of  the  engagement  of  his  son-in-law  and  ward  Mr.  Custis,  and 
Miss  Eleanor  Calvert,  but  wished  the  marriage  delayed  "  in  consideration  of  his 
youth,  inexperience,  and  unripened  education.  If  the  affection  which  they  have 
avowed  for  each  other,  is  fixed  upon  a  solid  basis,  it  will  receive  no  diminution 
in  the  course  of  two  or  three  years." 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief  this  day  was  made  "  First  LL.  D.  of  Har- 
vard College."  The  diploma  is  thus  worded :  "  The  Corporation  of  Harvard 
College,  in  Cambridge,  in  New  England,  constituted  and  created  the  aforesaid 
Gentleman,  George  Washington,  who  merits  the  highest  honor,  Doctor  of 
Laws, —  the  Law  of  Nature  and  Nations,  and  the  Civil  Law."  The  president 
said :  u  We  bestow  on  one,  who  by  the  signal  smiles  of  Divine  Providence  on  his 
military  operations,  drove  the  Fleet  and  Troops  of  the  enemy  with  disgraceful 
precipitation  from  the  Town  of  Boston,  the  Degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws.'7 

1790  President  Washington  notified  the  "  Senate  House  of  Congress,"  that 
he  approved  the  act  accepting  the  cession  to  the  U.  S.  of  the  Territory  of  Ten- 
nessee from  the  State  of  North  Carolina,  and  the  ceding  of  "  The  Light  House  at 
the  Hook  »  from  the  State  of  New  York. 


"  In  peace  and  in  war  we  contemplate  in  Washington  a  highly  finished  character.  Often 
are  the  brilliant  qualities  of  the  warrior  shaded  with  the  deep  vices  of  the  man,  for  the  unprin- 
cipled may  be  fired  with  thoughts  of  military  glory ;  —  but  Washington's  heroism  was  the  heroism 

John  Thornton  Kirhland,  LL.  D.,  President  of  Harvard. 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  51 


APRIL   FOURTH. 


1776  General  Washington,  at  Cambridge,  received  an  address  from  the  Se- 
lectmen of  Boston,  thanking  him  for  the  delivery  of  their  city.  Leaving  Gen- 
eral Artemus  Ward  in  command,  he  started  for  New  York,  and  was  met  at 
Providence  by  Governor  Cooke  and  council.  The  following  evening  a  handsome 
ball  was  given  in  his  honor  by  the  citizens. 

1784  Washington  wrote  to  Marchioness  de  Lafayette,  inclosing  charming* 
notes  to  George  Washington  and  Mile.  Virginie  de  Lafayette.  To  the  mother  he 
said :  "  You  must  have  a  curiosity  to  see  the  country  young,  rude  and  unculti- 
vated as  it  is,  for  the  liberties  of  which  your  husband  has  fought,  bled  and  ac- 
quired much  glory,  where  every  body  admires  and  every  body  loves  him.  Come 
then  let  me  entreat  you  and  call  my  cottage  your  home,  for  your  own  doors  do 
not  open  to  you  witn  more  readiness  than  mine." 

1797  Master  Mason  Ex-President  Washington  attended  a  dinner  given  him 
by  his  own  lodge  in  Alexandria,  Va.  This  lodge  is  very  rich  in  Washingtoniana, 
having  an  original  portrait,  the  chair  which  he  used  as  presiding  officer,  and  the 
regalia  embroidered  by  the  nuns  of  Nantes. 


u  The  immortal  Washington,  himself  a  Free  Mason,  devoted  his  hand,  his  heart,  his  sacred 
honor,  and  if  need  be  his  life  also,  to  the  cause  of  freedom  of  conscience,  of  speech,  and  of 
action,  and  from  his  successful  leading  has  arisen  this  nation." 

Myron  M.  Parker,  G.  M.  {Washington,  D.  ft). 

APRIL  FIFTH. 

1758  Colonel  Washington,  with  characteristic  modesty,  and  acting  on  a  prin- 
ciple to  which  he  firmly  held  through  life,  to  accept  no  favors,  wrote  to  his  mer- 
chant, Richard  Washington,  London:  "You  are  pleased  to  Dub  me  with  a  Title 
I  have  no  pretentions  to,  that  is,  Ye  Hon'ble."  At  the  same  time  he  gave  an  order 
to  procure  him  a  handsome  outfit  which  proved  to  include  his  wedding  suit. 

1783  General  Washington  wrote  from  Newburg  to  Lafayette,  in  Paris,  his 
grave  fears  for  the  action  of  the  young  Republic,  saying,  "We  stand  now  an  Inde- 
pendent people  and  have  yet  to  learn  political  Tactics.  We  are  placed  among 
the  nations  of  the  Earth  and  have  a  character  to  establish;  but  how  shall  we 
acquit  ourselves,  time  must  discover.  The  probability  is  that  local  or  State 
politics  will  interfere  too  much  with  the  more  liberal  and  extensive  plan  of  gov- 
ernment, which  wisdom  and  foresight,  freed  from  the  mist  of  prejudice,  would 
dictate." 

1792  President  Washington  vetoed  the  Apportionment  of  Representatives 
Bill,  giving  as  a  reason,  "  That  the  Constitution  provides  for  the  representation 
of  the  people."  The  first  exercise  of  this  constitutional  right  naturally  excited 
the  jealous  old  patriots. 


"In  thinking  about  Washington  I  have  always  been  surprised  by  the  almost  unequalled 
balance  that  he  was  enabled  to  preserve  between  the  centrifugal  force  of  greatness  and  the  cen- 
tripetal force  of  goodness.  The  first  alone  would  have  made  him  a  brilliant  meteor ;  the  last 
alone  would  have  held  him  in  some  quiet  station  of  life ;  the  two  combined  made  him  history's 
most  shining  star."  Frances  Elizabeth  Willard  (New  York). 


52  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


APRIL   SIXTH. 


1778  Mrs.  Jones,  Mrs.  Pleasants,  and  Mrs.  Drinker  (Quaker  ladies)  arrived 
this  day  at  Valley  Forge  to  arrange  if  possible  a  way  by  which  they  might  com- 
municate with  their  friends  who  were  prisoners  at  Winchester,  Va.  Mrs.  Drinker, 
in  her  journal,  says  :  "  We  requested  an  audience  with  the  General,  and  sat  with 
his  wife  (a  sociable,  pretty  kind  of  woman)  until  he  came  in.  It  was  not  long 
before  Gr.  Washington  came,  and  discoursed  with  us  freely,  but  not  so  long  as  we 
could  have  wished,  as  dinner  was  served,  to  which  he  invited  us." 

1789  In  accordance  with  resolution,  the  first  Congress  under  the  Constitution 
met  in  New  York  "on  the  first  Wednesday  in  March,"  which  was  the  4th  day  of 
that  month.  So  tardily  did  the  members  arrive,  that  a  quorum  was  not  present 
until  this  day.  When  the  electoral  returns  were  opened,  it  was  found  that  George 
Washington  of  Virginia  was  chosen  President  of  the  United  States. 

1794  President  Washington,  indignant  over  a  fraud,  wrote  his  manager  at 
Mount  Vernon :  "  The  imposition  with  respect  to  the  garden  seeds  is  very  un- 
justifiable; 'tis  infinitely  worse  than  simple  robbery,  for  there  you  lose  your 
money  only ;  but  when  it  is  given  for  bad  seed  you  lose  your  money,  your  labor 
in  preparing  for  the  reception  of  them,  and  a  whole  season." 


"Not  feeling  the  lust  of  power,  and  ambitious  only  for  honorable  fame,  he  devoted  himself 
to  his  country  upon  disinterested  principles,  and  his  actions  wore  not  the  semblance  but  the 
reality  of  virtue."  Aaron  Bancroft  (Massachusetts). 

APRIL  SEVENTH. 

1791  The  President  left  Mount  Vernon  on  his  Southern  tour,  and  records  in 
his  journal:  "In  attempting  to  cross  the  ferry  at  Colchester  with  the  four 
Horses  hitched  to  the  chariot  by  the  neglect  of  the  person  who  stood  before 
them,  one  of  the  leaders  got  overboard  when  the  boat  was  in  swimming  water 
and  50  yards  from  the  shore,  with  much  difficulty  he  escaped  drowning  before 
he  could  be  disengaged.  His  struggling  frightened  the  others,  and  in  quick  suc- 
cession they  all  got  overboard.  Providentially,  indeed  miraculously,  by  the  ex- 
ertions of  people  who  went  off  in  Boats  &  jumped  into  the  River  as  soon  as  the 
Batteau  was  forced  into  wading  water  no  damage  was  sustained  by  the  horses, 
Carriage  or  harness." 

1796  To  Andrew  Parks,  a  suitor  of  his  orphan  niece,  the  President  wrote : 
"My  wish  is  to  see  Harriet  happy;  one  step  towards  which,  is  for  her  to  be 
united  with  a  gentleman  of  respectable  connections ;  and  of  good  disposition  \  with 
one  who  is  more  in  the  habit  of  making  than  in  spending  money ;  and  who  can 
support  her  in  the  way  she  has  always  lived."  To  his  sister  he  said:  "I  would 
prefer  that  Harriet  would  remain  single  until  we  are  at  Mount  Vernon;  she 
would  then  be  in  the  way  of  seeing  much  company  and  would  have  a  much 
fairer  chance  of  matching  respectably." 


"Many  great  and  illustrious  men  have  equaled  George  Washington  in  some  one  or  other 
single  quality ;  but  scarcely  any  man  of  ancient  or  modern  times,  possessed  a  mental  and  moral 
constitution  of  such  beautiful,  complete  and  uniform  development." 

Samuel  M.  Smucker  (Pennsylvania). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  53 

APRIL  EIGHTH. 

1781  The  Commander-in-chief,  from  New  Windsor,  wrote  Gov.  Livingstone: 
"  Intelligence  has  been  sent  to  me  by  a  gentleman  living  near  the  enemy's  lines, 
who  has  an  opportunity  of  knowing  what  passes  among  them,  that  four  parties 
have  been  sent  out  with  orders  to  take  or  assassinate  your  Excellency,  Governor 
Clinton,  myself  and  a  fourth  person  whose  name  is  not  known." 

1786  "Rid  a  little  after  sunrise  to  Muddy  Hole  to  try  my  drill  plow  again, 
which  with  the  alteration  of  the  harrow  yesterday,  I  find  win  fully  answer  my 
expectation ;  and  that  it  drops  the  grains  thicker,  or  thinner  in  proportion  to 
the  quantity  of  seed  in  the  Barrel ;  the  less  there  is  in  it  the  faster  it  issues 
from  the  holes ;  the  weight  of  a  quantity  in  a  barrel  occasions  (I  presume)  a 
pressure  on  the  holes  that  do  not  admit  of  a  free  discharge  of  the  seed  through 
them."     Washmgton's  Diary. 

1791  This  day  President  Washington  arrived  at  his  early  home,  and  notes : 
u  Dined  and  lodged  with  my  sister  Lewis  at  Fredricksburg."  On  the  10th  he 
proceeded  to  Richmond.  "Left  Fredricksburgh  about  6  o'clock  —  myself,  Majr 
Jackson  and  one  Servant  breakfasted  at  General  Spotswoods  —  the  rest  of  my 
Servants  continued  on  to  Todd's  Ordinary  where  they  also  breakfasted.  Dined 
at  the  Bowling  Green  —  and  lodged  at  Kenner's  Tavern  14  miles  farther — in 
all  35  m." 


"A  man  whom  the  adverse  forces  of  the  world  have  not  been  able  to  wreck,  a  lover  of  per- 
fection, who  had  so  wrought  it  ont  in  his  own  character,  that  to  know  him  was  to  be  awed  into 
veneration  of  his  virtues."  James  Lane  Allen  (Kentucky). 

APRIL  NINTH. 

1776  General  Washington  arrived  at  New  London,  from  Norwich,  Connecti- 
cut, where  at  the  house  of  Jedediah  Huntington,  Esq.,  he  had  conferred  with 
Governor  Trumbull.  He  remained  through  the  night  at  Captain  Nathaniel 
Shaw's,  and  with  Captain  Hopkins  discussed  plans  for  the  organization  and  estab- 
lishment of  a  naval  force. 

1781  General  Washington  wrote  to  Colonel  John  Laurens,  commissioner  at 
Paris,  in  regard  to  the  French  fleet  not  reaching  the  Chesapeake  to  support  La- 
fayette :  "  The  failure  of  this  expedition,  which  was  the  most  flattering  in  the  com- 
mencement, is  much  to  be  regretted ;  because  a  successful  blow  in  that  quarter 
would,  in  all  probability,  have  given  a  decisive  turn  to  our  affairs  in  all  the 
Southern  States ;  because  it  has  been  attended  with  considerable  expense  on  our 
part,  and  much  inconvenience  to  the  State  of  Virginia,  by  the  assembly  of  its 
militia;  because  the  world  are  disappointed  at  not  seeing  Arnold  in  Gibbets." 

1783  The  Commander-in-chief  received  from  General  Sir  Guy  Carleton  de- 
spatches which  had  arrived  from  England  announcing  the  conclusion  of  a  gen- 
eral peace.  Replying,  he  said :  "  I  shall  be  happy  in  the  momentary  expectation  of 
having  it  in  my  power  to  publish  to  the  American  Army  a  general  cessation  of 
hostilities  between  Great  Britain  and  America." 


"  General  Washington  is  not  the  idol  of  a  day,  but  the  hero  of  ages.  .  .  .  The  whole  range 
of  history  does  not  present  to  our  view  a  character  upon  which  we  can  dwell  with  such  pure  and 
entire  admiration."  London  Courier  (1800). 


54  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

APRIL  TENTH. 

1790  President  Washington  approved  the  first  Patent  Law  passed  by  the  Con- 
gress of  the  United  States.  In  his  first  annual  address  to  that  body,  he  had  urged 
the  introduction  of  useful  foreign  inventions  and  the  encouragement  of  inventors 
at  home.  He  had  shown  an  unflagging  interest  in  all  mechanical  advancement, 
especially  that  pertaining  to  agriculture.  He  believed  in  the  possibility  of  utiliz- 
ing steam  as  a  power  to  propel  vessels ;  encouraged  Rumsey  and  Fitch,  having 
examined  their  models  and  seen  Rumsey's  boat  in  motion. 

1792  Washington,  in  thanking  Archbishop  Carroll,  with  whom  he  held  most 
friendly  relations,  for  his  pious  and  benevolent  work  in  instructing  the  Indians  in 
the  principles  and  duties  of  Christianity,  said :  "  The  most  effectual  means  of 
securing  the  permanent  attachment  of  our  savage  neighbors  is  to  convince  them 
that  we  are  just,  and  to  show  them  that  a  proper  and  friendly  intercourse  with 
us  would  be  for  our  mutual  advantage." 


"  Washington  was  a  man  all  over — a  man  with  strong  appetites,  fierce  temper,  positive, 
belligerent,  and  aggressive.  The  quality  in  which  he  differed  from  almost  all  men  was  his  abso- 
lutely perfect  control  over  his  passions  and  his  mind.  In  his  boyhood  he  appreciated  the  weak 
points  of  his  character — his  tendency  to  be  moved  by  impulse  and  sudden  tempests  of  emotion; 
and  he  set  himself  deliberately  at  work  to  correct  these  faults.  His  fortitude,  his  patience, 
his  perseverance,  his  tenacity,  were  all  the  result  of  this  introspection,  and,  taken  with  the  severe 
physical  training  of  his  youth,  in  the  woods  with  his  horse  and  gun,  in  the  forest  with  his 
hatchet  and  surveyor's  compass,  fitted  him  for  control  over  the  wills  of  other  men,  and  rendered 
him  capable  of  dealing  with  great  affairs,  when  the  time  called  for  those  qualities." 

Bradley  T.  Johnston  (Maryland). 

APRIL  ELEVENTH. 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief  arrived  in  New  Haven  on  his  way  to  New 
York,  having  passed  the  previous  night  in  Lyme  at  the  house  of  John  McCurdy. 
In  answer  to  an  appeal  from  Captain  McKay,  who  was  a  prisoner  in  Hartford,  he 
said :  "  The  situation  of  your  family  is  indeed  distressing,  but  such  is  the  event 
of  war ;  it  is  far  from  being  singular.  The  brave  Colonel  Allen,  an  officer  of 
rank,  has  been  torn  from  his  dearest  connections,  sent  to  England  in  irons,  and  is 
now  confined  to  the  most  servile  drudgery  on  board  one  of  the  King's  Ships." 

1796  President  Washington  made  an  appointment  to  sit  to  Gilbert  Stuart 
for  a  portrait,  at  the  request  of  Senator  and  Mrs.  Bingham,  who  wished  to  pre- 
sent it  to  that  stanch  friend  of  America,  the  Marquis  of  Lansdowne.  The 
artist  produced  a  full-length  portrait,  rich  in  tone,  and  greatly  approved  by  con- 
temporaries. Upon  its  reception  this  nobleman  was  so  much  gratified  that  he 
declared,  but  for  his  age,  he  would  cross  the  Atlantic  to  thank  Washington  for 
sitting.  Upon  his  death  it  was  sold  at  auction  with  his  personal  effects,  and  in 
1824  was  again  in  the  market  and  disposed  of  by  lottery,  bringing  £2000.  This 
painting  is  now  the  property  of  Lord  Rosebery.  In  1876  John  Delaware  Lewis, 
M.  P.,  then  its  owner,  permitted  this  portrait  to  be  exhibited  at  our  national  Cen- 
tennial celebration  in  Philadelphia. 


"  It  is  not  in  the  grasp  of  any  painter  to  hold  the  dignity  and  mightiness  of  the  great  sub- 
ject. There  is  a  concealed,  though  not  unconquered,  passion  working  within  him,  which  ren- 
dered him  a  somewhat  painful  subject."  James  Sharpless  (England). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  55 

APRIL  TWELFTH. 

1743  Augustine  Washington,  the  father  of  George  Washington,  died  at  his 
seat  near  Fredericksburg,  Stafford  County,  Virginia,  aged  49.  He  was  married 
twice  and  left  six  children.  The  "  home  farm,'7  on  which  he  died,  he  bequeathed 
to  George,  his  third  son,  and  oldest  child  of  the  second  marriage. 

1748  George  Washington  in  his  survey  in  the  Shenandoah  Valley  noted: 
u  The  Trough  is  a  couple  of  Ledges  of  Mountains,  impassable,  running  side  & 
side  together  for  above  7  or  8  miles  &  ye  river  down  between  them.  You  must 
ride  round  ye  back  of  ye  mountain  for  to  get  below  them.  After  we  had  pitched 
our  Tents  &  made  a  very  large  Fire,  we  pulled  out  our  knapsack  in  order  to  Re- 
cruit ourselves.  Everyone  was  his  own  cook.  Our  Spits  was  forked  Sticks,  our 
Plates  was  a  large  chip ;  as  for  Dishes,  we  had  none.  This  day  see  a  Rattled 
snake,  ye  first  we  had  seen  in  all  our  journey." 

1791  President  Washington  spent  several  days  in  Richmond,  on  his  South- 
ern tour,  which  proved  to  be  his  last  visit  to  the  capital  of  Virginia.  He  was 
entertained  by  Governor  Henry  Lee,  the  famous  cavalry  officer,  made  a  careful 
study  of  the  city's  improvements,  received  and  answered  addresses  from  citizens, 
and  thanked  them  with  characteristic  simplicity  "  for  the  very  favorable  senti- 
ments you  express  to  me." 


*'  Virginia  in  giving  this  illustrious  patriot  to  the  whole  country  recognizes  the  fact,  that 
though  one  State  may  contain  the  locality  of  his  birth  and  the  place  of  his  burial,  no  one  State 
can  bind  his  boundless  fame."  Fitzhugh  Lee  ( Virginia). 

APRIL  THIRTEENTH. 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief  arrived  in  New  York,  attended  by  Adjutant- 
General  Gates  and  his  aide-de-camp  William  Palfrey.  He  established  his  head- 
quarters on  Pearl  Street,  near  Cedar,  remaining  six  weeks,  where  from  many 
sources  he  received  expressions  of  admiration  and  gratitude  upon  the  happy 
termination  of  his  first  campaign.  He  found  much  to  commend  in  General 
Schuyler's  management  and  work  in  the  Department  of  New  York. 

1777  Washington  wrote  to  Patrick  Henry :  "  It  gives  me  much  concern  to 
hear  that  the  recruiting  service  proceeds  so  slowly  in  most  of  the  states.  That  it 
is  the  case  in  Virginia  affects  me  in  a  peculiar  manner.  I  am  induced  to  believe, 
that  the  apprehension  of  the  small  pox,  and  its  calamitous  consequences  have 
greatly  retarded  the  enlistments." 

1791  This  extract  from  his  diary  at  Richmond  makes  it  evident  that  the  Pres- 
ident, "  though  on  pleasure  bent/'  did  not  discard  all  official  cares :  "  Fixed  with 
Colonel  Carrington  (the  Supervisor  of  the  District)  the  surveys  of  Inspection  and 
named  the  characters  for  them  j  an  acc't.  of  which,  was  transmitted  to  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Treasury." 


"As  the  incidents  of  his  age  are  more  generally  known,  as  the  historian  throws  more  light 
on  its  stirring  movements  and  the  rapid  scenes  shift  from  home  to  camp,  from  camp  to  legisla- 
tive assembly,  from  the  farm  to  the  Presidency  and  back  again  to  the  retirement  of  his  estate, 
the  halo  deepens  around  him,  and  each  fact  in  his  life  acquires  a  charm  and  poetry  of  its  own." 

Eabbi  A.  S.  Isaacs  (New  York). 


56  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

APRIL  FOURTEENTH. 

1755  "  The  Congress  of  Alexandria,"  consisting  of  five  Colonial  governors, 
convened :  Shirley  of  Massachusetts ;  Delancy  of  New  York :  Morris  of  Pennsyl- 
vania ;  Sharp  of  Maryland ;  Dinwiddie  of  Virginia.  General  Braddock  and  Cap- 
tain Kepple  appeared  before  the  august  body ;  also  Colonel  Washington.  This 
young  officer  made  a  fine  impression ;  he  was  not  entirely  unknown,  they  having 
seen  the  journal  of  his  mission  to  Fort  le  Bceuf  in  the  autumn  of  1753. 

1789  Charles  Thomson,  secretary  of  Congress,  delivered  to  Washington 
at  Mount  Vernon  the  following  letter  from  President  John  Langdon :  u  I  have  the 
honor  to  transmit  to  your  Excellency  the  information  of  your  unanimous  election 
to  the  office  of  President  of  the  United  States  of  America.  Suffer  me  sir  to  indulge 
the  hope  that  so  auspicious  a  mark  of  public  confidence  will  meet  with  your  ap- 
probation, and  be  considered  as  a  pledge  of  the  affection  and  support  you  are  to 
expect  from  a  free  and  enlightened  people."  In  response  General  Washington 
said  to  Secretary  Thomson :  "  I  have  been  accustomed  to  pay  so  much  respect  to 
the  opinion  of  my  fellow  citizens,  that  the  knowledge  of  their  having  given  their 
unanimous  suffrages  in  my  favor  scarcely  leaves  me  the  alternative  for  an  option. 
I  will  be  ready  to  accompany  you  the  day  after  to-morrow." 


"  Sir :  Give  me  leave  to  pray  your  attention  with  his  Lordship  in  favor  of  Col.  George  Wash- 
ington, who  I  will  venture  to  say  is  a  very  deserving  gentleman,  and  has  from  the  first  com- 
manded the  forces  of  this  dominion.  Gen.  Braddock  thought  so  highly  of  him  he  made  him  his 
aid,  and  if  he  had  survived,  I  believe  would  have  provided  handsomely  for  him  in  the  Regulars. 
He  is  a  person  much  beloved  here,  and  has  undergone  many  hardships  in  the  service,  and  I  really 
think  he  has  just  merit."  Gov.  Dinwiddie  to  Gen.  Abercrombie. 

APRIL  FIFTEENTH. 

1776  General  Washington  informed  Congress  of  his  return  from  Boston, 
and  that  at  the  various  points — Providence,  Norwich,  and  New  London — he  had 
stopped  to  expedite  embarkation  of  troops.  The  army  moved  in  three  divisions 
to  these  points,  and  was  then  taken  to  New  York  by  water.  The  General  found 
this  post  in  fine  condition,  and  thanked  both  officers  and  soldiers  "  for  the  many 
Works  of  Defense  which  had  been  so  expeditiously  erected." 

1779  Washington  wrote  to  John  Jay  in  confidence,  and,  with  a  freedom  he 
did  not  often  indulge  in  even  with  trusted  friends,  said :  "  I  discovered  very  early 
in  the  war  svmptoms  of  coldness  and  constraint  in  General  Gates'  behaviour  to 
me.  These  increased  as  he  rose  into  greater  consequence.  When  I  find  that 
this  gentleman  does  not  scruple  to  take  the  most  unfair  advantage  of  me,  I  am 
under  a  necessity  of  explaining  his  conduct  to  justify  my  own.  I  am,  however, 
uneasy,  as  General  G.  has  endeavored  to  impress  Congress  with  an  unfavorable 
idea  of  me." 


"I  will  only  add,  if  Washington  was  not  a  Christian,  he  was  more  like  one  than  any  man  of 
the  same  description  whose  life  has  hitherto  been  recorded.  From  other  great  men  he  was  dis- 
tinguished by  an  exemption  from  favoritism.  No  man  ever  so  engrossed  his  attention  as  to  be 
safe,  for  a  moment,  from  a  deserved  reproof  or  censure,  nor  was  a  man  ever  so  distrusted  by  him, 
as,  on  that  account,  to  fail  of  receiving  from  him  whatever  applause  his  services  or  merit  could 
claim.    Hence  his  friends  feared  and  his  enemies  respected  him." 

Timothy  Dwight,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  President  of  Yale. 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  57 

APRIL  SIXTEENTH. 

1781  The  Commander-in-chief  said  regarding  the  exchange  of  General  Bur- 
goyne,  then  in  Europe  on  parole :  "  His  death  would  deprive  us  in  exchanges  of 
the  value  of  1040  soldiers.  If  the  captivity  of  President  Henry  Laurens  in  the 
Tower  of  London,  is  not  relaxed,  Burgoyne  shall  at  once  be  recalled."  Mr. 
Laurens  was  compelled  to  pay  rent  for  his  cells,  furnish  his  own  food,  fuel,  and 
candles,  and  the  wages  for  his  two  wardens ;  at  the  last  he  rebelled,  saying  it 
was  enough  to  provoke  a  man  to  exchange  his  lodgings. 

1789  George  Washington,  accompanied  by  Secretary  Thomson  and  a  modest 
domestic  retinue,  started  for  the  seat  of  Government.  He  thus  records  his  emo- 
tions :  "About  ten  o'clock  I  bade  adieu  to  Mount  Vernon,  to  private  life,  and 
to  domestic  felicity,  with  a  mind  oppressed  with  more  anxious  and  painful  sensa- 
tions than  I  have  words  to  express,  set  out  for  New  York,  in  company  with  Mr. 
Thomson  and  Colonel  Humphries ;  with  the  best  disposition  to  render  service 
to  my  country  in  obedience  to  its  call,  but  with  less  hope  of  answering  its  expec- 
tations."    Washington 's  Diary. 


11  Washington  the  warrior  and  the  legislator !  In  war,  contending  by  the  wager  of  battle  for 
the  independence  of  his  country  and  for  the  freedom  of  the  human  race ;  l  ever  manifesting 
amidst  its  horrors,  by  precept  and  example,  his  reverence  for  the  laws  of  peace  and  for  the 
tenderest  sympathies  of  humanity;  in  peace,  soothing  the  ferocious  spirit  of  discord  among  his 
countrymen  into  harmony  and  union ;  and  giving  to  that  very  sword,  now  presented  to  his  coun- 
try, a  charm  more  potent  than  that  attributed  in  ancient  times  to  the  lyre  of  Orpheus." 

John  Quincy  Adams  (Massachusetts). 

APRIL   SEVENTEENTH. 

1775  Colonel  Washington  spent  the  day  at  Alexandria,  Va ,  drilling  the 
"  Independent  Companies."  Neighbors,  friends,  relatives,  "  The  Blues,"  his  spe- 
cial command,  went  to  the  field  and  were  the  military  escort  at  his  funeral. 

1777  Lord  North's  "Conciliatory  Bills n  were  circulated  in  camp  at  Valley 
Forge.  These  u  Specious  allurements  of  peace,"  as  the  Commander-in-chief  called 
them,  were  a  severe  test  to  the  patriotism  of  the  suffering  army  j  but  one  which, 
to  their  credit,  they  withstood  manfully. 

1779  The  journey  of  the  President-elect  was  a  triumphal  march.  Within 
a  mile  of  his  own  gates  he  was  met  by  a  delegation  of  friends  and  neighbors 
from  Alexandria,  who  escorted  him  until  relieved,  upon  the  banks  of  the  Poto- 
mac, by  a  similar  one  from  Georgetown,  who  were  in  turn  relieved  by  an  escort 
from  Baltimore,  and  thus  the  route  was  covered  until  he  entered  the  first  capital. 


"  WASHINGTON,  <  •  WASHINGTON, 

The  Brave,  The  Wise,  The  Good ;  The  Hero,  The  Patriot,  The  Christian; 

WASHINGTON,  The  Father  of  Nations,  The  Friend  of  Mankind ; 

Supreme  in  War,  in  Council,  and  in  Peace.  who, 

WASHINGTON,  When  he  had  won  all,  renounced  all, 

Valiant            Discreet          Confident  and  sought, 

without            without            without  In  the  Bosom  of  his  Family  and  of  Nature, 

Ambition ;            Fear ;        Presumption ;  Eetirement, 

WASHINGTON,  And,  in  the  Hope  of  Eeligion, 

In  Disaster,  Calm ;  In  Success,  Moderate,  In  All,  Immortality." 

himself.  Anon. 


58  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

APRIL  EIGHTEENTH. 

1760  "  Righted  up  all  my  Fencing.  Planted  other  pine  trees  in  the  fenc'd 
place  at  the  corner  of  the  garden  the  first  being  broke,  and  much  hurt  by  crea- 
tures. Got  my  cloaths  &c  packed  up  for  my  journey  to  Williamsburg,  to- 
morrow."    Washington's  Diary. 

1776  General  Washington,  much  gratified  by  the  prompt  appreciation  ex- 
hibited in  the  resolution  of  Congress,  March  25th,  wrote  to  President  Hancock 
from  New  York :  "  The  medal,  intended  to  be  presented  to  me  by  your  honorable 
body,  I  shall  carefully  preserve  as  a  memorial  of  their  regard." 

1783  u  The  Commander-in-chief  orders  the  cessation  of  hostilities  between 
the  United  States  and  the  King  of  Great  Britain  to  be  publicly  proclaimed  to- 
morrow at  twelve  at  the  New  Building  j  and  that  the  Proclamation,  which  will 
be  communicated  herewith,  be  read  tomorrow  evening  at  the  head  of  every 
regiment  and  corps  of  the  army ;  after  which  the  chaplains  with  the  several 
brigades  will  render  thanks  to  Almighty  God  for  all  His  mercies,  particularly 
for  His  over-ruling  the  wrath  of  man  to  His  glory  and  causing  the  rage  of  war 
to  cease  among  the  nations."     Orderly  Book  (Newburg). 


"  Washington  was  never  dramatic,  but  on  great  occasions  he  not  only  rose  to  the  full  ideal 
of  the  event ;  he  became  himself  the  event.  No  man  ever  stood  for  so  much  to  his  country 
and  to  mankind  as  George  Washington.  Hamilton,  Jefferson,  and  Adams,  Madison  and  Jay 
each  represented  some  of  the  elements  which  formed  the  Union; — Washington  embodied  them 
all."  Chauncey  Mitchell  Depew,  LL.  D.  (New  York). 

APRIL  NINETEENTH. 

1756  Colonel  "Washington  appealed  to  Lord  Fairfax  for  militia  to  defend 
Fort  Edwards,  "  lest  the  party  of  soldiers  and  inhabitants  fall  a  sacrifice  to  the 
Indians."  Two  days  later  he  sent  an  express  to  Governor  Dinwiddie  to  hurry 
up  relief,  provisions,  and  powder.  The  frontier  men  had  driven  their  cattle 
toward  the  interior  and  gathered  their  women  and  children  into  the  fort. 

1783  Eight  years  from  the  first  shock  of  arms  at  Lexington,  the  Com- 
mander-in-chief issued  the  Proclamation  of  Congress  ordering  cessation  of  hos- 
tilities. The  news  was  received  with  huzzas,  followed  by  a  prayer ;  to  the 
accompaniment  of  the  band  the  army  sang  the  anthem  "  Independence."  For 
the  evening  celebration  the  regiments  were  ordered  to  bring  in  timbers  from 
ten  to  thirty  feet  long  to  form  a  frame  for  fireworks  over  the  New  Building. 
Combustibles  collected  on  the  summit  of  Beacon,  Cro'  Nest  and  Storm  King,  for 
the  purpose  of  heralding  the  approach  of  the  enemy,  were  now  to  be  used  in  the 
celebration  of  peace.  Amidst  this  rejoicing  Washington  left  for  Ringwood,  N.  J., 
to  arrange  with  the  Secretary  of  War  plans  for  the  exchange  of  prisoners,  so  that 
the  more  imposing  celebration  was  reserved  for  the  city  of  New  York. 


"  The  States,  O  Lord,  with  songs  of  praise,  "  And  all  the  Continent  shall  sing 

Shall  in  thy  strength  rejoice,  Down  with  this  earthly  King; 

And  blest  with  thy  salvation  raise  No  King  but  God, 

To  Heaven  their  cheerful  voice.  No  King  but  God." 

"Independence"  (Billings,  Conn.,  1783). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  59 


APRIL  TWENTIETH. 


1778  The  Commander-in-chief  sent  a  circular  to  the  general  officers  in  camp 
proposing  three  plans  for  the  summer  campaign :  "  To  recover  Philadelphia, 
attack  New  York,  or  to  keep  the  army  in  a  state  of  security,  to  cover  the  country 
and  our  magazines1  and  be  prepared  for  the  future  motions  of  the  enemy P  The 
officers  sent  a  written  reply  which  differed  widely  in  opinion.  General  Charles 
Lee  arrived  the  previous  evening  at  Valley  Forge.  Washington,  who  had  been 
distressed  at  his  captivity,  received  him  like  a  brother,  and  gave  him  a  room  at 
headquarters.  All  the  music  in  the  camp  was  ordered  out,  and  the  generals  of 
divisions  were  invited  to  a  dinner  in  his  honor. 

1780  General  Washington  interested  and  entertained  his  guests,  the  French 
minister,  Marquis  de  la  Luzerne,  and  a  Spanish  nobleman,  Don  Juan  MuriLles, 
at  Morristown,  by  taking  them  to  a  point,  where  they  had  a  distant  view  of  the 
enemy  s  position,  on  New  York  and  Staten  Island. 

1789  The  President-elect  was  met  at  the  Pennsylvania  line  by  a  large  civil 
and  military  cavalcade,  and  escorted  to  Philadelphia.  He  was  entertained  by 
the  corporation  at  a  magnificent  banquet  given  at  the  "  City  Tavern v  j  and  re- 
ceived every  assurance  of  affection. 


u  I  know  of  no  historic  character  concerning  whom  the  verdict  of  humanity  is  so  unanimous 
as  it  is  concerning  George  Washington.  With  the  exception  of  Thomas  Carlyle  I  cannot  recall 
the  name  of  any  writer  of  consequence  who  has  dissented  from  this  verdict." 

Hjalmar  Hjorth  Boyesen. 

APRIL  TWENTY-FIRST. 

1778  Commenting  on  Lord  North's  speech  and  "Conciliatory  Bills,"  in  a  let- 
ter to  John  Banister,  delegate  in  Congress  then  sitting  at  York,  Pa.,  Washing- 
ton wrote  :  "  Nothing  short  of  Independence  can  possibly  do.  A  Peace  on  other 
terms  would,  if  I  may  be  allowed  the  expression,  be  a  Peace  of  war.  The  inju- 
ries we  have  received  from  the  British  nation  were  so  unprovoked,  and  have 
been  so  great  and  so  many,  that  they  can  never  be  forgotten.  .  .  .  France,  by 
her  supplies,  has  saved  us  from  the  yoke  thus  far  j  and  a  wise  and  virtuous  per- 
severence  would,  and  I  trust  will,  free  us  entirely.'7 

1789  This  day  Washington  reached  Trenton,  N.  J.?  where  twelve  years  be- 
fore he  had  fought  one  of  the  most  sanguinary  and  important  battles  of  the 
war.  On  the  bridge  he  was  met  by  a  delegation  of  young  girls,  who  sang  songs 
in  his  honor  and  strewed  flowers  in  his  pathway.  A  floral  arch  was  erected 
over  the  bridge,  bearing  the  legends :  "  December  26th,  1776,"  "  The  Defender 
of  the  Mothers  will  be  the  Protector  of  the  Daughters."  This  scene  has  become 
a  favorite  theme  for  pen  and  pencil. 


Welcome,  mighty  chief,  once  more,  "Virgins  fair  and  matrons  grave, 

Welcome  to  this  grateful  shore,  Those  thy  conquering  arm  did  save, 

Now  no  mercenary  foe  Build  for  thee  triumphal  bowers. 

Aims  again  the  fatal  blow,  Strew  ye  fair  his  way  with  flowers, 

Aims  at  thee  the  fatal  blow.  Strew  your  hero's  way  with  flowers." 

Bichard  Howell  (Governor  of  New  Jersey). 
Bridge  at  Trenton,  sung  April,  1789. 


60 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


APRIL  TWENTY-SECOND. 

1756  Colonel  Washington  appealed  for  help  from  the  merchants  of  Fred- 
ericksburg, and,  in  applying  to  Governor  Dinwiddie  to  make  better  provisions  to 
defend  the  frontier,  wrote :  "  The  supplicating  tears  of  the  women,  and  moving 
petitions  from  the  men,  melt  me  into  such  deadly  sorrow,  that  I  solemnly  de- 
clare, if  I  know  my  own  mind,  I  could  offer  myself  a  willing  sacrifice  to  the 
butchering  enemy,  provided  that  would  contribute  to  the  people's  ease." 

1778  Congress  set  apart  this  day  for  fasting,  humiliation,  and  prayer.  The 
fasting  observed  by  the  poor  soldiers  at  Valley  Forge,  who,  to  quote  their  Com- 
mander-in-chief, "  were  deeply  involved  in  rags,"  was  little  less  than  a  satire,  a 
satire  that  brought  tears  to  the  eyes  of  many  wives  and  mothers. 

1793  From  Philadelphia,  President  Washington  issued  a  Proclamation  of 
Neutrality  between  the  United  States  and  the  European  powers  in  conflict. 
The  Cabinet  unanimously  agreed  to  receive  a  minister  from  the  Republic  of 
France,  thus  sympathizing  with  all  efforts  for  self-government,  even  that  which 
had  wantonly  sacrificed  such  friends  of  liberty  as  D'Estaing,  Chastellux,  and  others 
well  beloved  in  America. 


"In  the  days  that  tried  men's  souls,  when  danger  and  death  were  at  the  door,  and  difficul- 
ties pressed  on  every  side,  Washington,  born  to  command,  to  ride  on  the  whirlwind  and  direct 
the  storm,  discovered  to  the  astonished  world  that  in  the  wilds  of  America  had  been  raised  a 
hero  to  eclipse  in  glory  the  Alexanders  of  Greece,  the  Caesars  of  Rome,  and  the  Hampdens  of 
Britain ;  unrivalled  in  talents  and  equal  to  the  mighty  task  of  working  out  the  salvation  of  his 
country."  Captain  Samuel  White  (New  York),  1800. 

APRIL  TWENTY-THIRD. 

1755  Colonel  Washington  left  Mount  Vernon  to  join  General  Braddock  at 
Fredericktown.  Before  starting  he  wrote  to  Hon.  William  Fairfax,  then  a 
member  of  the  House  of  Burgesses,  of  having  met  the  Colonial  governors  in 
Alexandria,  and  u  being  well  received  by  them,  especially  Mr.  Shirley,  whose 
character  and  appearance  have  perfectly  charmed  me,  as  I  think  his  every  word 
and  action  discover  in  him  the  gentleman  politician." 

1779  From  Middlebrook,  Washington  wrote  to  the  president  of  Congress: 
"Is  there  anything  doing,  or  that  can  be  done  to  restore  the  credit  of  our 
money?  The  depreciation  of  it  has  got  to  so  alarming  a  point,  that  a  wagon 
load  of  money  will  scarcely  purchase  a  wagon  load  of  provisions." 

1789  In  a  handsome  barge  presented  by  the  citizens,  General  Washington 
reached  New  York  from  Elizabethtown,  and  the  city  welcomed  him  as  no  hero 
of  modern  times  had  been  received.  Accompanied  by  the  joint  committees 
appointed  by  Congress  to  attend  him,  he  dined  with  Governor  Clinton. 


Thrice  welcome  to  this  shore, 
Our  leader  now  no  more, 

But  ruler  thou, 
Oh,  truly  good  and  great! 
Long  live  to  glad  our  State, 
Where  countless  honors  wait 

To  deck  thy  brow. 


Hush'd  he  the  din  of  arms ; 
Henceforth  the  olive's  charms 

Shall  war  preclude. 
These  shores  a  head  shall  own 
Unsullied  by  a  thronOj 
Our  much-lov'd  Washington, 

The  great,  the  good 7" 

Samuel  Low  (New  York),  1789. 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  61 


APRIL  TWENTY-FOURTH. 


1775  Colonel  Washington,  from  Fairfax  County,  advertised,  offering  forty 
dollars  reward  for  the  capture  and  return  of  two  convict  men-servants,  warning 
all  vessels  against  receiving  them.  Convict  labor  was  largely  depended  upon, 
especially  for  bricklayers,  masons,  carpenters,  shoemakers,  etc.  An  indenture 
covering  seven  years  for  "  one  Transport n  was  found  in  the  Washington  papers. 

1780  "At  Morristown  a  field  of  parade  being  prepared  under  the  direction 
of  Baron  Steuben,  four  battalions  of  our  army  were  presented  for  review,  by  the 
French  Minister,  attended  by  his  Excellency  and  our  General  officers."  In  the 
evening  the  Marquis  de  la  Luzerne,  accompanied  by  General  and  Mrs.  Washington, 
attended  a  ball  given  in  his  honor  by  the  principal  officers.  The  Spanish  noble- 
man Don  Juan  Murilles  was  not  present,  being  alarmingly  ill  with  pulmonary 
fever  at  headquarters. 

1791  President  Washington,  after  a  dusty  and  fatiguing  drive  from  New- 
Berne,  arrived  at  Wilmington,  N.  C.  Here  he  was  annoyed  to  find  "  that  the 
Census  in  this  state  has  been  inaccurately  and  shamefully  taken  by  the  Mar- 
shall's deputies." 

"  So  just,  so  wise,  so  beneficial,  so  far  above  the  tone  of  vulgar  heroes  was  the  Father  of  our 
Country,  that  but  a  small  proportion  of  what  is  interesting  in  him  can  be  given  of  him  in  any- 
book.  His  praise  is  everywhere :  he  has  no  competitors,  he  stands  alone.  .  .  .  Let  us  bless 
God  that  America,  having  produced  one  such  son,  may  bring  forth  others  like  him,  when  the 
day  of  trial  shall  come,  as  it  may  come  even  to  us,  favored  as  we  are  above  all  the  nations  of 
the  earth.    There  is  more  hope,  not  less,  of  another  Washington,  from  having  had  the  first." 

Caroline  Matilda  KirMand  {Massachusetts). 

APRIL  TWENTY-FIFTH. 

1785  General  Washington  wrote  from  Mount  Vernon  a  strong  testimonial 
upon  the  patriotism,  generosity,  and  efficiency  of  Christopher  Ludwick,  Baker- 
General  of  the  United  States.  This  office  was  created  "  to  rectify  all  abuse  in 
the  article  of  bread."  His  commission  from  Congress  was  dated  May  3,  1777, 
and  was  held  to  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  a  great  sufferer,  financially,  and 
became  negligent  through  sacrifices  for  the  patriot  cause,  but  was  wont  to  say 
that  this  letter  from  his  commander  consoled  him  for  all  losses. 

1788  General  Washington  wrote  from  Mount  Vernon  congratulating  the 
Marquis  de  Chastellux  upon  his  approaching  marriage,  and  said :  "  It  is  quite  good 
enough  for  you.  Now  you  are  well  served  for  coming  to  fight  in  favor  of  the 
American  rebels,  all  the  way  across  the  Atlantic  Ocean :  by  catching  that  terri- 
ble contagion  Domestic  Felicity.  While  you  have  been  making  love,  under  the 
banner  of  Hymen,  the  great  Personages  in  the  North  have  been  making  war, 
under  the  infatuation  of  Mars.  Now,  I  humbly  conceive,  you  have  had  much 
the  best  and  wisest  of  the  bargain.  For  certainly  it  is  more  consonant  to  all  the 
principles  of  reason  and  religion  to  replenish  the  earth  with  inhabitants,  rather 
than  to  depopulate  it  by  killing  those  already  in  existence." 


"  Washington 
Doth  know  no  other  language  than  the  one 
We  speak;  and  never  did  an  English  tongue 
Give  voice  unto  a  larger,  wiser  mind." 

George  Henry  Calvert  {Maryland). 


62  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


APRIL  TWENTY-SIXTH. 


1760  "  Visited  all  the  Estates,  and  my  own  quarters  about  Williamsburg, 
found  these  also  in  pretty  good  forwardness.  Receiv'd  letters  from  Winchester, 
informing  me  that  the  small  pox  had  got  among  my  quarters  in  Frederick ;  de- 
termin'd  therefore  to  leave  town  as  soon  as  possible  and  proceed  up  to  them." 
Washington's  Diary. 

1763  Colonel  Washington  wrote  to  his  Tailor,  Old  Fish  Street,  London :  "  Be 
pleased  to  send  me  a  genteele  sute  of  cloaths,  made  of  superfine  broad  cloth, 
handsomely  chosen :  —  I  should  have  enclosed  you  my  measure,  but,  in  a  general 
way,  they  are  so  badly  taken  here  that  I  am  convinced  it  would  be  of  little  ser- 
vice ;  I  would  have  you  therefore,  take  measure  of  a  gentleman  who  wears  well 
made  cloaths  of  the  following  size,  to  wit:  Six  feet  high,  and  proportionately 
made ;  if  anything,  rather  slender  than  thick  for  a  person  of  that  heighth,  with 
pretty  long  arms  and  thighs." 

1793  To  the  Earl  of  Buchan,  the  President  said :  "  I  take  the  liberty  of 
sending  you  the  plan  of  a  new  city,  situated  about  the  center  of  the  Union  of 
these  States,  which  is  designated  for  the  permanent  seat  of  the  government. 
We  are  at  this  moment  far  advanced  in  extending  the  inland  navigation  of  the 
River  Potomac,  on  which  it  stands,  and  the  branches  thereof,  through  a  tract  of 
as  rich  country  for  hundreds  of  miles  as  any  in  the  world." 


"  I  recommend  the  constant  remembrance  of  the  moral  and  political  maxims  conveyed  to  its 
citizens  by  the  Father  and  Founder  of  the  United  States."  Earl  Buchan  (Scotland). 

APEIL  TWENTY-SEVENTH. 

1782  The  Commander-in-chief  urged  upon  the  Secretary  of  War  the  enlist- 
ment into  our  service  of  German  prisoners,  saying,  u  I  am  convinced  that  by 
such  an  incorporation  they  will  make  exceedingly  cheap  and  valuable  recruits, 
and  being  able-bodied  and  disciplined  will  give  a  strength  and  solidity  to  our 
regiments."  Through  the  influence  of  Christopher  Ludwig  a  number  of  Hes- 
sians had  become  ardent  Americans. 

1787  General  Washington  was  called  to  Fredericksburg,  Va.,  by  the  alarm- 
ing illness  of  his  mother  and  sister.  He  had  arranged  to  start  for  Philadelphia 
to  attend  the  Constitutional  Convention,  proposing  to  arrive  in  time  to  preside 
at  the  general  meeting  of  the  Society  of  the  Cincinnati.  Of  this  society  he  said 
to  General  Knox :  "  That  the  design  of  the  institution  was  pure  I  have  not  a  par- 
ticle of  doubt  j  that  it  may  be  so  still  is  perhaps  equally  unquestionable." 

1789  The  committee  of  both  Houses  of  Congress,  in  New  York,  reported 
that  the  inaugural  oath  would  be  administered  to  George  Washington  in  the 
outer  gallery,  adjoining  the  senate-chamber.  Congress  also  resolved,  "  That  after 
the  oath  shall  have  been  administered  to  the  President,  he,  attended  by  the  Vice- 
President  and  the  members  of  the  Senate  and  the  House  of  Representatives,  pro- 
ceed to  St.  Paul's  chapel  to  hear  divine  service,  to  be  performed  by  the  Chaplain 
of  Congress  already  appointed." 


George  Washington,  the  highest  human  personation  of  justice  and  benevolence." 

William  Henry  Seward  (New  York). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  63 

APRIL  TWENTY-EIGHTH. 

1777  The  Commander-in-chief  wrote  to  General  McDougall  deploring  the 
disaster  at  Danbury,  and  the  fall  of  the  gallant  General  Wooster  at  the  head  of 
his  brave  militia  at  Ridgefield.  This  engagement  was  one  of  the  five  battles  of 
the  yeomanry  who  went  from  their  plows  to  the  field  :  King's  Mountain,  Ridge- 
field,  Oriskany,  Bunker  Hill,  Lexington ;  where  u  the  embattled  farmers  stood, 
and  fired  the  shot  heard  round  the  world." 

1782  General  Washington,  writing  to  the  Marquis  de  la  Luzerne,  said : 
"  Permit  me,  Sir,  to  express  the  high  sense  I  have  of  the  honor  you  have  done 
me  in  communicating  the  favorable  opinion  entertained  of  my  conduct  by  the 
Court  and  nation  of  France,  and  to  acknowledge  my  obligations  to  those  officers, 
who  have  inspired  these  sentiments.7' 

1788  Maryland  adopted  the  Federal  Constitution. 

1789  The  programme  for  the  inaugural  ceremonies  of  George  Washington 
was  officially  reported, — a  broadside  printed  upon  foolscap  paper  and  issued  the 
following  morning.  New  York  was  crowded  with  people  from  all  parts  of  the 
country  to  witness  the  great  event. 


"  I  place  Washington  in  the  first  rank  among  men  whom  it  is  the  world's  duty  to  honor.  He 
does  not  belong  to  you  alone,  he  belongs  to  the  whole  of  mankind.  If  he  has  not,  in  the  same 
degree  as  Napoleon,  the  prestige  that  genius  lends,  he  has  certainly  that  which  is  incomparably 
superior,  and  which  emanates  from  disinterestedness,  love  of  country,  and  fidelity  to  principle. 
America  lives  through  Washington."  Alfred  Joseph  Naquet,  Senateur  {France). 

APRIL  TWENTY-NINTH. 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief,  from  headquarters,  New  York,  forbade  all 
intercourse  or  correspondence  with  ships  of  war  and  other  vessels  belonging  to 
or  in  the  service  of  the  King  of  Great  Britain.  He  wrote  to  his  brother,  John 
Augustine  Washington,  the  same  date :  "  Mrs.  Washington  is  still  here,  and  talks 
of  taking  the  small-pox,  but  I  doubt  her  resolution." 

1790  In  his  diary  Washington  notes :  "  Fixed  with  the  Secretary  of  State  on 
the  present  which  (according  to  the  custom  of  nations)  should  be  made  to  the 
Diplomatic  Characters  when  they  return  from  their  employment  in  this  country — 
and  this  was  a  gold  medal  suspended  to  a  gold  chain — in  ordinary  to  be  of  the 
value  of  about  120  or  130  guineas."  Two  of  these  medals,  executed  by  Dupr6, 
were  presented  officially — one  to  the  Marquis  de  la  Luzerne  and  one  to  Count  de 
Moustier.  The  dies  were  lost  at  sea,  but  were  reproduced  from  a  wax  impression, 
furnished  by  a  collector  on  the  American  Centennial,  by  Dr.  Linderman,  director  of 
the  mint.  The  revival  and  use  of  this  medal  as  originally  proposed,  was  suggested 
and  strongly  urged  upon  senators  and  members,  but  never  came  before  Congress. 

1791  The  President,  accompanied  by  General  Moultrie  and  Colonel  William 
Washington,  passed  the  night  at  the  home  of  Mr.  Rutledge.  He  found  great 
delight  in  the  beauty  of  the  rice-fields.  The  following  morning  he  left  for 
Georgetown,  S.  C,  where,  fourteen  years  before,  Lafayette  and  suite  had  landed 
in  America. 


"Washington  reunit  par  un  rare  assemblage,  les  talens  du  guerrier,  et  les  vertus  du  sage." 

Voltaire,  Washington  medal  (Paris). 


64  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


APRIL  THIRTIETH. 


1780  General  Washington  informed  the  Governor  of  Cuba,  Don  Diego  Na- 
varro, of  the  death  of  Don  Juan  Murilles,  a  Spanish  nobleman,  who  died  on  the 
28th,  of  lung-fever,  while  his  guest  at  Morristown.  Every  honor  was  accorded 
this  distinguished  stranger.  The  order  was  issued  "  that  all  officers  who  can  be 
free  from  duty  are  expected  to  attend  his  f uneral."  The  Marquis  de  la  Luzerne, 
the  Commander-in-chief  and  his  generals  walked  by  the  bier  as  chief  mourners. 
The  united  display  of  military  and  church  ceremonies  made  of  this  funeral  one 
of  the  most  magnificent  occasions  that  have  ever  occurred  in  America. 

1781  From  New  Windsor  the  General  wrote  to  Lund  Washington  upon  hear- 
ing that  some  British  troops  had  landed  at  Mount  Vernon,  and  that  to  save  the 
mansion  he  had  supplied  them  with  meat.  He  said :  "  I  am  very  sorry  of  your  loss, 
I  am  a  little  sorry  to  hear  of  my  own ;  but,  that  which  gives  me  most  concern,  is, 
that  you  should  go  on  board  the  enemies  vessels,  and  furnish  them  with  refresh- 
ments. It  would  have  been  a  less  painful  circumstance  to  me  to  have  heard,  that 
in  consequence  of  your  non  compliance  to  their  request  they  had  burnt  the  house 
and  laid  the  plantation  in  ruins." 

1789  In  the  presence  of  an  immense  assemblage  of  American  citizens  and 
representatives  of  foreign  governments,  the  oath  as  first  executive  officer  of  the 
United  States  of  America  was  administered  to  George  Washington  by  Chancellor 
Livingston,  on  the  balcony  of  Federal  Hall,  in  the  city  of  New  York.  At  the 
conclusion  of  his  inaugural  address  in  the  senate-chamber,  the  President,  Vice- 
President,  and  Congress,  in  pursuance  of  resolution,  proceeded  on  foot  to  St. 
Paul's  Church,  where  Bishop  Provoost  preached.  The  city  of  New  York  celebrated 
the  centenary  of  this  event  with  a  magnificence  worthy  of  its  importance,  repro- 
ducing, as  far  as  possible,  the  scenes  of  the  day  they  memorialized. 


"He  addressed  the  two  Houses  in  the  senate-chamber;  it  was  a  very  touching  scene,  and 
quite  of  a  solemn  kind.  His  aspect  grave,  almost  to  sadness ;  his  modesty,  actually  shaking ; 
his  voice  deep,  a  little  tremulous,  and  so  low  as  to  call  for  close  attention ;  added  to  the  series  of 
objects  presented  to  the  mind,  and  overwhelming  it,  produced  emotions  of  the  most  affecting 
kind  upon  the  members."  Fisher  Ames  (Massachusetts),  April  30,  1789. 


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MAY  FIRST. 

1778  General  Washington  received  the  first  intelligence  of  the  signing  of  the 
French  Alliance  Treaty,  from  Simeon  Deane,  who  landed  at  Falmouth  from 
the  frigate  La  Sensible,  bearing  despatches  to  the  Continental  Congress  from 
the  French  king.  Congress  was  in  session  at  Yorktown,  Pa.,  but  Mr.  Deane 
sent  a  messenger  from  Bethlehem  to  Valley  Forge,  to  relieve  the  anxiety  of  the 
Commander-in-chief. 

1781  The  Commander-in-chief  this  day  at  New  Windsor  began  "  A  Concise 
Journal  of  Military  Transactions,"  which  valuable  manuscript  is  in  the  archives 
of  the  Department  of  State.  In  the  preface  he  says :  "  Instead  of  having  magazines 
filled  with  provisions,  we  have  a  scanty  pittance  scattered  here  and  there  in  the 
different  States.  Instead  of  having  our  arsenals  well  supplied  with  military 
stores,  they  are  poorly  provided,  and  the  workmen  all  leaving  them,"  etc. 

1785  "To  dinner  Mr.  Pine,  a  pretty  eminent  portrait  and  historical  painter 
arrived  in  order  to  take  my  picture  from  the  life  and  place  it  in  the  historical 
pieces  he  was  about  to  draw.  This  gentleman  stands  in  good  estimation  as  a 
painter  in  England  comes  recommended  to  me  from  Col.  Fairfax,  Mr.  Morris, 
Gov.  Dickinson,  Mr.  Hopkinson  and  others."    Washington's  Diary. 

1792  President  Washington  wrote  to  the  Earl  of  Buchan  that  his  portrait, 
which  that  nobleman  had  sent  the  artist  Archibald  Robertson  to  America  to 
paint,  had  been  forwarded  to  Dryburg  Abbey.  Of  the  "  Wallace  Box  "  he  said : 
"  I  accept  with  sensibility  and  satisfaction,  the  significant  present  of  the  box ;  I 
will  however  ask,  that  you  will  exempt  me  from  a  compliance  with  the  request 
relating  to  its  eventual  destination."  That  nobleman  requested  that  Washington 
should  bequeath  it  to  the  most  exemplary  American.  The  box  was  made  of  the 
oak  that  sheltered  William  Wallace  after  the  battle  of  Falkirk,  and  in  his  will 
Washington  returned  it  to  the  donor. 


1 '  Washington's  enthusiastic  welcome  to  the  Presidential  chair  by  the  people  of  all  classes, 
without  any  division  of  interest,  reads  in  this  age  like  a  poem;  yet  he  was  able  to  meet  it  with 
unruffled  composure.  He  had  come  to  the  front  when  there  were  an  ocean  of  problems  to 
solve  —  of  forms  and  ceremonies  to  be  adjusted.  But  industry  was  one  of  his  cardinal  virtues, 
and  he  did  not  seek  to  be  afflicted  with  waste  moments.  His  personal  influence  tied  as  with  a 
knot  of  steel  the  conflicting  forces  together.  He  was  dignified  even  to  a  lofty  reserve,  while  at 
the  same  time  his  irresistible  magnetism  disproves  the  notion  that  he  was  cold  and  unsym- 
pathetic. His  breeding  was  that  of  a  gentleman ;  he  was  fond  of  society,  conversed  well, 
enjoyed  humor  in  a  quiet  way,  and  was  sensitive  to  the  beauty  and  open  to  the  appeal  of  a 
good  story."  Martha  J.  Lamb  (New  York). 

5  65 


66  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


MAY  SECOND. 


1779  There  was  a  grand  review  of  the  army  at  Middlebrook,  in  honor  of 
the  French  minister,  Monsieur  Gerard,  and  Don  Juan  Murilles.  Mrs.  Wash- 
ington, Mrs.  Knox,  and  Mrs.  Greene,  with  an  assemblage  of  distinguished  guests, 
were  upon  a  platform.  The  Commander-in-chief  and  suite,  division  generals 
and  their  suites,  formed  a  group.  Colonel  Lee  and  his  cavalry  won  great  ap- 
plause by  their  evolutions.  The  French  minister's  visit  to  camp  was  for  the 
purpose  of  consulting  the  Commander-in-chief  in  respect  to  the  movements  of 
the  French  fleet  under  Count  d'Estaing. 

1788  Washington  expressed  to  John  Ettwein,  a  Moravian  clergyman,  his  ap- 
proval of  the  work  being  done  among  the  aborigines  by  the  Society  of  Beth- 
lehem, and  thanked  him  for  a  pamphlet  by  Count  Zinzendorf,  upon  "The 
Traditions,  Customs,  and  Language  of  the  Indians."  This  is  one  of  the  most 
valuable  as  well  as  one  of  the  earliest  life-studies  of  the  race,  and  is  given  with 
the  strength  and  simplicity  peculiar  to  this  remarkable  man. 

1791  The  President  arrived  in  Charleston,  and  notes  in  his  diary:  "Was  re- 
ceived in  a  12  oared  barge  rowed  by  12  American  Captains  of  Ships,  most 
elegantly  dressed.  There  were  a  great  number  of  other  Boats  with  Gentlemen 
and  ladies  in  them  j  and  two  boats  with  Music." 


"  His  memory  will  ever  be  dear  to  the  French  nation,  as  to  all  freemen  in  "both  the  Old  and 
New  Worlds,  and  especially  to  the  soldiers  of  France,  who,  like  him  and  the  American  soldiers, 
fight  for  equality  and  liberty."  Napoleon  {France). 

MAY  THIRD. 

1782  Washington  announced  to  the  Commander-in-chief  of  the  British  army 
that  unless  the  murderers  of  Captain  Joshua  Huddy,  of  the  New  Jersey  State 
Troops,  be  yielded  up,  that  he  would  certainly  find  means  to  retaliate.  The 
same  month  lots  were  drawn  among  the  prisoners,  and  Captain  Asgill,  a  brilliant 
young  officer,  drew  the  fatal  number,  which  placed  him  under  sentence  of  death. 
His  execution  was  delayed,  and  Congress  finally  pardoned  him. 

1783  Major-General  Heorth,  in  his  invaluable  Memoirs,  thus  records  an  im- 
portant event:  "General  Washington  and  Governor  Clinton  with  their  suites 
went  down  the  river  to  Dobbs  Ferry  to  meet  General  Sir  Guy  Carleton.  Four 
companies  of  light  infantry  had  marched  for  that  place  to  do  the  duty  of  guards. 
Sir  Guy  was  to  come  up  the  river  in  a  frigate." 

1791  "  Breakfasted  with  Mrs.  Rutledge  (the  Lady  of  the  Chief  Justice  of  the 
State  who  was  on  the  Circuits)  and  dined  with  the  Citizens  at  a  public  dinner, 
given  by  them  at  the  Exchange.  Was  visited  about  2  o'clock,  by  a  great  num- 
ber of  the  most  respectable  ladies  of  Charleston  —  the  first  honor  of  the  kind  I 
had  ever  experienced  and  it  was  as  flattering  as  it  was  singular."  Washington's 
Diary. 


"As  the  military  leader  of  a  political  revolution,  as  the  ruler  of  a  free,  and  the  Father  of  a 
great  people,  he  appears  stamped  with  the  character  of  absolute  perfection.  In  the  progress  of 
civilization  and  Christianity,  war,  with  all  its  works,  will  be  done  away.  Its  glories  and  its  hor- 
rors, will  be  known  only  in  history;  but  in  those  happy  days  Washington  will  still  be  found 
worthy  the  admiration  of  mankind."  Charles  Wentworth  Upham,  D.  D.  {Maine). 


GEOKGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  67 


MAY  FOURTH. 


1758  Colonel  Washington  noted  in  his  account-book  buying  a  ring  for  six- 
teen shillings,  presumably  his  engagement-ring ;  for  on  the  24th  of  this  month 
he  left  Fort  Loudoun  to  make  his  second  visit  to  Mrs.  Martha  Dandridge  Custis, 
at  which  time  they  became  engaged. 

1771  Colonel  Washington  in  his  diary  gives  a  glimpse  of  life  at  the  old 
capital  of  Virginia.  "  Dined  at  Mrs.  Campbells  (paid  for  Club  and  Dinner)  went 
to  Eltham  with  Colonels  Basset  and  Lewis.  Dined  at  the  Speakers  and  went 
to  the  play,  after  w'ch  drank  a  bowl  or  two  of  Punch  at  Mrs.  Campbell's."  Until 
the  very  outbreak  of  the  war  for  independence,  the  most  cordial  and  confidential 
relations  existed  between  Washington  and  the  Governors  and  other  officials  of  the 
Old  Dominion. 

1775  Colonel  Washington,  accompanied  by  Benjamin  Harrison,  started  at 
sunrise,  on  horseback,  from  Mount  Vernon,  to  attend  the  second  Continental  Con- 
gress, convened  at  Philadelphia.  This  was  the  last  time  he  saw  Mount  Vernon 
for  more  than  six  years.  They  reached  Upper  Marlborough  that  night,  and  were 
joined  by  Edmund  Pendleton,  also  a  delegate  to  the  Congress. 


"America  has  furnished  the  character  of  Washington,  and  if  our  American  Institutions  had 
done  nothing  else,  that  alone,  would  entitle  them  to  the  respect  of  mankind.  ...  A  century 
from  the  birth  of  Washington  has  changed  the  world.  The  country  of  Washington  has  been 
the  theatre  on  which  a  great  part  of  that  change  has  been  wrought,  and  Washington  himself  a 
principal  agent  by  which  it  has  been  accomplished.  His  age  and  his  country  are  equally  full 
of  wonders,  and  of  both  he  is  the  chief."  Daniel  Webster  {Massachusetts). 

MAY  FIFTH. 

1778  At  midnight  a  special  messenger  from  Congress  arrived  at  Valley 
Forge  to  officially  announce  to  the  Commander-in-chief  the  ratification  at  Ver- 
sailles on  February  6th  of  the  French  alliance.  In  reply,  Washington  wrote, 
urging  "  the  importance  of  action  on  the  part  of  Congress,  as  the  English  evidently 
intended  to  vigorously  prosecute  the  war."  Upon  announcing  the  event  to  the 
army  in  the  morning,  Washington  ordered  a  grand  fete  and  jubilee. 

1779  From  Middlebrook  the  Commander-in-chief  inclosed  to  the  president 
of  Congress  three  New  York  papers.  He  said :  "  The  last  contains  extracts  from 
Lord  North's  speech,  at  opening  the  budget,  which  seems  to  breathe  a  vigorous 
prosecution  of  the  war,  I  have  thought  appearances  for  some  time  past  wore  this 
complexion.  While  the  government  can  procure  money ;  men  will  not  be  want- 
ing." At  the  solicitation  of  Washington,  Congress  made  Baron  Steuben  inspec- 
tor-general of  the  army,  with  rank  and  pay  of  major-general.  This  brilliant 
nobleman  left  high  honors  in  three  kingdoms  that  he  might  come  to  America 
and  draw  his  sword  for  liberty. 


"  Washington  was  the  first  one  to  see  the  rising  sun  of  coming  ages.  Unlike  many  others  he 
did  not  wish  to  build  up  the  future  by  using  the  past.  He  did  not  stop  to  loosen  stones  from 
monuments  in  ruins,  to  build  with  them  the  city  of  the  promised  land.  For  Washington's  genius 
was  composed  of  honesty  and  will  power.  Without  his  will  power  he  would  have  relinquished 
three  times  the  work  of  American  independence.  Without  his  honesty  he  would  have  instituted 
for  his  own  benefit  a  short-lived  monarchy  instead  of  founding  an  indestructible  republic." 

Arsene  Houssaye  (France). 


68  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


MAY  SIXTH. 


1775  Colonel  Washington  gave  his  brother  this  charming  picture  of  Brad- 
dock  :  "  I  have  met  with  much  complaisance  in  this  family,  especially  from  the 
General,  whom  I  hope  to  please  without  ceremonious  attentions  or  difficulty ;  for 
I  may  add :  it  cannot  be  done  with  them,  as  he  uses  and  requires  less  ceremony 
than  you  can  easily  conceive."  Washington  having  lost  three  of  his  horses 
since  leaving  Mount  Vernon,  he  applied  to  his  old  friend  Thomas,  Lord  Fairfax, 
of  Greenway  Court,  for  the  loan  of  forty  or  fifty  pounds,  saying,  "  I  will  gladly 
pay  your  Lordship  interest,  beside  many  thanks." 

1783  General  Washington  and  General  Sir  Guy  Carleton  met  in  the  Van 
Brugh  Livingston  Mansion  at  Dobbs  Ferry  (Rochambeau's  headquarters  in 
1781-82).  They  arranged  for  the  evacuation  of  New  York  and  all  other  posts 
in  the  possession  of  the  enemy,  and  at  the  same  time  agreed  upon  and  settled 
the  preliminaries  for  the  departure  of  the  hostile  forces  of  his  Britannic  Majesty 
from  the  territory  of  the  Government  of  the  United  States. 

1791  "  Dined  with  a  large  Company  at  the  Governors  &  in  the  evening  went 
to  a  Concert  at  the  Exchange  at  wch  there  were  at  least  400  ladies  the  number 
&  appearance  of  wch  exceeded  anything  of  the  kind  I  had  ever  seen.  Viewed 
the  town  on  horseback  by  riding  through  most  of  the  principal  streets.  Dined 
at  Major  Butler's  and  went  to  a  Ball  in  the  evening  at  the  Governor's  where 
there  was  a  select  Company  of  ladies."     Washington's  Diary. 


11  General  Washington  is  known  to  us,  and  President  Washington.  But  George  Washington 
is  an  unknown  man."  Hugh  McMasters  {Pennsylvania). 

MAY  SEVENTH. 

1778  The  Commander-in-chief,  Generals  Greene  and  Stirling,  with  their 
wives,  attended  thanksgiving  service  of  the  Jersey  Brigade  at  Valley  Forge. 
The  General  reviewed  the  army,  and  with  all  of  his  officers  dined  in  public; 
bands  playing;  and  each  toast  announced  with  cannon.  Upon  a  signal  given 
the  army  huzzahed,  "  Long  Live  the  King  of  France !  Long  live  the  friendly 
European  powers ;  and  long  live  the  American  States ! n  Washington,  upon 
retiring,  repeated  their  shouts,  which  was  received  with  the  wildest  delight.  He 
presented  two  of  the  three  sets  of  epaulets  and  sword-knots  sent  him  from 
France,  one  to  General  Arnold  and  one  to  General  Lincoln. 

1789  The  first  inaugural  ball  was  given  to  President  Washington  by  the 
citizens  of  New  York  at  the  De  Lancey  House  in  the  Bowery,  near  Canal  street. 
It  was  a  great  disappointment  that  Mrs.  Washington,  who  was  en  route  from 
Mount  Vernon,  had  not  arrived  in  time  to  be  present. 

1791  Some  difficulties  having  arisen  in  regard  to  the  boundary  of  the  Fed- 
eral City,  the  President  wrote  to  the  commissioners :  "  Will  the  gentlemen  not 
recollect  my  observation  that  Philadelphia  stood  upon  an  area  of  three  by  two 
miles,  and  if  the  metropolis  of  one  state  occupied  so  much  ground,  what  ought 
that  of  the  United  States  to  occupy?" 


"  The  delight  not  only  of  his  own  nation  but  of  all  mankind.  .  .  .  The  first  in  war  was  now 
to  be  the  first  in  peace."  Eliza  Morton  Quincy  (Massachusetts). 


GEOEGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  60 


MAY  EIGHTH. 


1778  General  Washington  held  a  conncil  of  war  at  Valley  Forge  with  the 
military  committee  instructed  by  Congress  to  urge  an  attack  upon  Philadelphia. 
He  resisted  their  arguments,  stating  that  his  "  men  were  not  yet  in  condition  for 
such  service  after  their  winter  of  cruel  suffering."  After  discussion  and  grave 
deliberation,  the  committee  accepted  his  views  of  the  situation,  and  agreed  that 
the  interests  and  safety  of  the  United  States  demanded  he  should  continue  on 
the  defensive  and  await  events. 

1780  A  letter  from  "Washington  welcomed  Lafayette  upon  his  landing  from 
France,  "  with  all  the  joy  the  sincerest  friendship  could  dictate."  The  Marquis 
arrived  two  days  later  at  headquarters, — Morristown, —  and  remained  four  days 
in  consultation  with  his  Excellency. 

1783  The  Commander-in-chief  and  Governor  Clinton  dined  with  Sir  Guy 
Carleton  on  board  the  Greyhound  in  the  Hudson,  opposite  Dobbs  Ferry.  They 
were  received  with  a  salute,  and  upon  their  departure,  in  recognition  of  General 
Washington's  rank,  seventeen  guns  were  fired.  u  This  was  the  first  complimentary 
salute  by  Great  Britain  in  honor  of  an  officer  of  the  United  States  j  and  virtually 
the  first  salute  to  the  nation." 


11  The  soldiers,  jealous  of  his  praises,  feared  even  his  silence ;  never  was  a  general  better 
served  and  obeyed.  More  careful  of  his  country's  glory  than  his  own,  he  risked  nothing  to 
chance.  .  .  .  How  I  love  to  imagine  myself  the  French  General  (Rochambeau),  equally  idolized 
and  hero  of  his  army,  saying  as  he  sat  at  table  near  Washington,  that  he  had  never  known  what 
glory  was  nor  a  truly  great  man,  until  he  became  acquainted  with  him." 

Joseph  Handrillon  ("Le  Spectateur  Americain " ). 

MAY  NINTH. 

1779  From  Middlebrook,  General  Washington  wrote  to  Gouverneur  Morris: 
u  If  the  enemy  have  it  in  their  power  to  press  us  hard  this  campaign,  I  know  not 
what  may  be  the  consequences.  Our  Army  as  it  now  stands,  is  but  little  more 
than  the  skeleton  of  an  army.  .  .  .  Providence  has  done,  and  I  am  persuaded  it 
disposes  to  do,  a  great  deal  for  us,  but  we  are  not  to  forget  the  fable  of  Jupiter 
and  the  countryman." 

1781  The  Commander-in-chief  made  a  careful  estimate  of  the  stores  at  West 
Point,  and  discovered  that  there  was  not  meat  enough  for  two  full  days'  rations. 
He  well  said  :  "  Instead  of  having  everything  in  readiness  to  take  the  field,  we  have 
nothing,  and  instead  of  having  the  prospect  of  a  glorious  offensive  campaign 
before  us,  we  have  a  bewildered  and  a  gloomy  defensive  one." 

1787  Washington  left  in  his  chariot  for  Philadelphia,  to  attend  the  Constitu- 
tional Convention.  "  Crossed  from  Mount  Vernon  to  Mr.  Digges  a  little  after  sun- 
rise, and  pursuing  the  rout  by  the  way  of  Baltimore  dined  in  Bladensburg, 
and  lodged  at  Major  Snowden's,  when  feeling  very  severely  a  violent  headache  I 
went  to  bed  early."     Washington's  Diary. 


"  Patient,  watchful,  provoked  into  no  rashness,  frightened  into  no  delay,  cautious  in  his  ap- 
proach, bold  and  desperate  in  his  onset,  calm  and  collected  in  retreat,  he  moves  at  the  head  of 
his  brave,  but  ill  furnished  and  distracted  army  like  a  pillar  of  fire." 

Rev.  Joel  Tyler  Headley  {New  York). 


70  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


MAY  TENTH. 


1775  Colonel  Washington  was  present  at  the  convening  of  the  second  Con- 
tinental Congress  at  Philadelphia.  Hon.  John  Adams,  a  member  from  Massa- 
chusetts Bay,  wrote  :  "  Colonel  Washington  appeared  every  day  in  his  uniform, 
and  his  great  experience  and  ability  in  military  affairs  was  of  much  service  to  all." 

1782  General  Washington  received  at  Newburg  from  Sir  Guy  Carleton,  who 
had  only  just  returned  from  England,  a  communication  inclosing  the  king's  speech 
of  March  4th,  in  favor  of  peace,  and  a  copy  of  the  bill,  not  yet  passed  by  Parlia- 
ment, enabling  his  Majesty  to  conclude  a  peace,  or  truce,  with  the  revolted  colonies 
in  North  America.  The  English  general  said :  "  In  all  events,  Sir,  it  is  with  me  to 
declare,  that,  if  war  must  prevail  I  shall  endeavor  to  render  its  miseries  as  light 
to  the  people  of  this  continent  as  the  circumstances  of  such  a  condition  will  pos- 
sibly permit." 

1789  The  President  gave  a  theater-narty  to  about  "  25  people  of  Eminence." 
Senator  William  Maclay,  of  Pennsylvania,  was  one  of  the  number,  and  wrote  a 
detailed  account  of  the  entertainment;  rather  a  genial  effort  for  this  sensitive 
politician,  who  seemed  imbued  with  the  idea  that  courtesy  extended  to  him  was 
actuated  by  an  unworthy  motive ;  especially  at  this  time,  on  the  eve  of  his  effort 
to  locate  the  permanent  seat  of  government  on  the  Susquehanna. 


"  The  true  greatness  of  George  Washington  is  best  exemplified  in  the  greatness  of  this  conn- 
try,  which,  as  compared  with  all  other  nations,  is  the  greatest  show  on  earth." 

Phineas  T.  Barnum  (Connecticut). 

MAY  ELEVENTH. 

1754  Colonel  Washington  wrote :  "  Broke  camp,  and  went  on  a  rising  ground 
where  we  halted  to  dry  ourselves,  for  we  had  been  obliged  to  ford  a  rapid  where 
our  shortest  men  had  Water  up  to  their  Arm-pits.  An  express  came  in  with  let- 
ters acquainting  us  that  Colonel  Fry  with  a  Detachment  of  more  than  100  men 
was  at  Winchester,  and  was  to  set  out  in  a  few  days  to  join  us :  as  also  that  Colonel 
Innes  was  marching  with  350  men,  raised  in  Carolina ;  that  it  was  expected 
Maryland  would  raise  200  men,  and  that  Pennsylvania  had  raised  10,000  Pounds 
to  pay  the  soldiers  of  other  Colonies,  as  that  Province  could  furnish  no  recruits : 
and  that  Governor  Shirley  had  sent  600  men  to  harass  the  French  in  Canada ;  I 
hope  that  will  give  them  some  work  to  do,  and  will  moderate  their  zeal  in  send- 
ing so  many  men  to  the  Ohio." 

1780  The  magnificence  of  the  obsequies  and  official  distinction  accorded  that 
grandee  of  Spain,  Don  Juan  de  Murilles,  called  forth  a  letter  of  thanks  from 
Marquis'  de  la  Luzerne,  to  whom  Washington  replied:  "The  attention  and 
honors  paid  Monsieur  Murilles  on  his  death,  were  a  tribute  due  his  character  and 
merit,  and  dictated  by  the  sincere  esteem  which  I  always  felt  for  him."  As  was 
the  custom  in  his  own  country,  the  body  was  robed  in  court  costume  and  exposed 
to  the  public  view. 


"We  were  impatient  to  see  the  hero  of  liberty.  .  .  .  His  dignified  address,  his  simplicity  of 
manners,  and  mild  gravity,  surpassed  our  expectations  and  won  every  heart." 

Count  Dumas  (France). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  71 

.    MAY  TWELFTH. 

1778  The  Commander-in-chief,  and  the  general  officers  at  Valley  Forge, 
signed  the  oath  required  by  Congress :  "  I  do  acknowledge  the  United  States  of 
America  to  be  Free,  Independent  and  Sovereign  States,  and  declare  that  the 
people  thereof  owe  no  allegiance  or  obedience  to  George  the  Third,  King  of  Great 
Britain  j  and  I  renounce,  refuse,  and  abjure  any  allegiance  or  obedience  to  him  ; 
and  I  do  swear,  that  I  will  to  the  utmost  of  my  power,  support,  maintain,  and  de- 
fend the  said  United  States  against  the  said  King  George  the  Third,  and  his  heirs 
and  successors,  and  his  or  their  abettors,  assistants  and  adherents  and  will  serve 
the  said  United  States,  in  the  office  of  Commander  in  chief  which  I  now  hold  with 
fidelity,  according  to  the  best  of  my  skill  and  understanding."  Washington  re- 
ceived Ethan  Allen  at  headquarters,  and  said  of  him :  "  I  have  been  happy  in  a 
visit  from  Col.  Allen.  His  fortitude  and  firmness  seem  to  have  placed  him  be- 
yond the  reach  of  misfortune.  There  is  an  original  something  in  him  that  com- 
mands admiration,  and  his  long  captivity  and  suffering  have  only  served  to 
increase,  if  possible,  his  enthusiastic  zeal." 

1791  u  In  my  way  down  the  River  I  called  upon  Mrs.  Green  the  widow  of 
the  deceased  Genl.  Green  &  asked  her  how  she  did.  At  this  place  my  horses  and 
Carriages  were  landed,  and  had  12  miles  farther  by  Land  to  Savanna."  Wash- 
ington's Diary. 

"I  have  a  large  acquaintance  among  the  most  valuable  and  exalted  class  of  men;  but  you 
are  the  only  human  being  for  whom  I  ever  felt  an  awful  reverence.  I  sincerely  pray  God  to 
grant  a  long  and  serene  evening  to  a  life  so  gloriously  devoted  to  the  universal  happiness  of  the 
world."  Lord  Erskine  to  Washington. 

MAY  THIRTEENTH. 

1776  "  The  Guard  of  the  Commander-in-chief"  was  organized  at  New  York. 
He  said  it  must  be  composed  entirely  of  Americans."  Their  uniforms  were  blue 
coats  with  white  facings,  white  waistcoats  and  breeches,  black  half  gaiters,  a 
cocked  hat  with  a  blue  and  white  feather;  they  carried  muskets  and  side  arms; 
their  motto  was  "  conquer  or  die."  Caleb  Gibbs  of  Rhode  Island  was  their  first 
chief,  with  the  title  of  Captain  Commandant. 

1783  At  Verplanck  House,  Fishkill,  headquarters  of  Baron  Steuben,  the 
Society  of  the  Cincinnati  was  formed.  This  order  grew  out  of  a  suggestion 
from  General  Knox,  approved  by  the  Commander-in-chief.  The  sole  purpose  of 
the  organization  was  to  encourage,  cherish,  and  perpetuate  friendship  between 
the  officers,  foreign  and  native. 

1787  General  Washington  arrived  in  Philadelphia  j  his  old  escort,  "  The  City 
Light  Horse,"  met  him  at  the  Schuylkill.  He  wrote  to  his  wife:  u Alighted 
through  a  crowd  at  Mrs.  House's,  but  being  again  warmly  and  kindly  pressed 
by  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Robert  Morris  to  lodge  with  them,  I  did  so  and  had  my  baggage 
removed  thither.  Waited  on  Dr.  Franklin  as  soon  as  I  got  to  town.  On  my  ar- 
rival the  bells  were  chimed." 

"  I  take  this  opportunity  of  returning  my  most  sincere  thanks  to  the  Captain  and  to  the  gen- 
tlemen who  compose  the  Troop,  for  the  many  escential  services  which  they  have  rendered  their 
country,  and  to  me  personally,  during  the  course  of  this  campagne.  Though  composed  of  gen- 
tlemen of  fortune,  they  have  shown  a  noble  example  of  discipline  and  subordination,  and  in  sev- 
eral actions  have  shown  a  spirit  and  bravery  which  will  ever  do  honor  to  them,  and  will  ever 
be  gratefully  remembered  by  me."  Washington  to  Captain  Samuel  Morris  (1779). 


72  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

MAY  FOURTEENTH. 

1755  Colonel  Washington  wrote  from  Cumberland  to  his  younger  brother : 
u  As  wearing  boots  is  quite  the  mode,  and  mine  are  in  a  declining  state,  I  must 
beg  the  favor  of  you  to  procure  me  a  pair,  good  and  neat."  In  a  note  to  Mrs. 
William  Fairfax,  of  Belvoir,  he  explained  why  Mrs.  Wardrope  met  with  more  re- 
spect than  herself  in  the  review  at  Alexandria,  Va. :  u  Nothing  less,  I  assure  you, 
than  a  present  of  a  delicious  cake  and  potted  woodcock,  which  so  affected  the 
palate  as  to  leave  a  deep  impression  on  the  hearts  of  all  who  tasted  them.  How 
could  the  General  do  otherwise  than  admire  not  only  the  charms,  but  the  polite- 
ness of  this  lady  !  n 

1787  Washington  met  with  the  Constitutional  Convention  in  Independence 
Hall,  Philadelphia — "  The  goodliest  fellowship  (of  law-givers)  whereof  this  world 
holds  record.77  There'  were  fifty-five  delegates  from  the  thirteen  States,  and  they 
had  been  cautiously  chosen,  but  the  patent  fact  that  they  were  not  free  from  sec- 
tional bias,  made  many  patriot  hearts  quake  with  fear  as  shown  by  the  bon  mot 
of  Dr.  Franklin,  after  the  Constitution  was  signed,  upon  the  carved  sun  on  the 
President's  chair.  He,  the  man  whose  wit  flashed  forth  to  illuminate  the  rugged 
path  of  patriotism,  said :  u  In  the  vicissitudes  of  hope  and  fear,  I  was  not  able 
to  tell  if  it  were  a  rising  or  a  setting  sun.     I  now  know  it  was  a  rising  sun.77 


"  It  is  true  that  Washington  was  a  Virginian,  but  he  was  also  an  American,  and  it  was  at  the 
head,  not  of  Virginia  alone,  but  of  armies  composed  of  troops  of  each  of  the  good  Old  Thirteen. 
Surrounded  by  councillors  drawn  together  from  all  points  of  that  infant  confederacy,  he  won  the 
meed  of  glory  which  places  him  at  the  head  of  the  human  race."      Thomas  Ritchie  ( Virginia). 

MAY  FIFTEENTH. 

1781  General  Washington  thanked  President  Ezra  Stiles  and  Fellows  of  the 
University  of  Yale  for  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws.  He  added  :  "  The  polite 
manner  in  which  you  are  pleased  to  request  my  acceptance  of  this  distinguished 
mark  of  their  favor  demands  my  grateful  acknowledgement.77 

1791  The  President  notes  on  leaving  Savannah :  "  After  morning  Service, 
and  receiving  a  number  of  visits  from  the  most  respectable  ladies  of  the  place 
(as  was  the  case  yesterday),  I  set  out  for  Augusta,  Escorted  bey7d  the  limits  of 
the  City,  by  most  of  the  Gentlemen  in  it,  and  dining  at  Mulberry  Grove,  the  Seat 
of  Mrs.  Greene,  lodged  at  one  Spencer's  —  distant  15  miles.77 

1796  President  Washington  made  an  appeal  to  the  Emperor  of  Austria  for 
the  release  of  Marquis  de  Lafayette,  begging  that  he  might  be  permitted  to  come 
to  America  "on  such  conditions  and  under  such  restrictions  as  your  Majesty 
may  think  it  expedient  to  prescribe.77 


"  Washington  was  a  wonderful  and  most  majestic  man — so  equal  and  measured  in  all  his 
ways,  that  his  greatness  and  genius  were  to  be  seen  and  felt  only  in  its  general  results.  From 
his  earliest  manhood,  when  he  led  the  British  army  to  safety  and  refuge  through  the  wild  forest 
of  Virginia,  to  his  mature  years,  when  the  American  colonies  sought  in  him  a  commander-in- 
chief  to  maintain  their  independence  and  establish  their  constitutional  form  of  government,  he 
was  the  same  immortal  hero  j  the  synonym  of  courage  and  justice  inspired  with  love  for  Almighty 
God  and  his  fellow  men."  Robert  M.  McLane  {Maryland). 


GEOKGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY  73 


MAY  SIXTEENTH. 


1776  Congress  passed  a  resolution  requiring  General  Washington  to  appear 
before  that  body  to  consult  in  regard  to  "  the  present  posture  of  affairs."  Presi- 
dent Hancock  invited  Washington  and  his  wife  to  be  his  guests  while  at  Phila- 
delphia ;  but  upon  their  arrival  from  New  York  he  was  too  ill  to  receive  them. 

1780  The  Commander-in-chief  sent  notifications  to  Governor  Jefferson,  of 
Virginia,  and  to  Major- General  Heath,  at  Boston,  of  the  expected  arrival  of  the 
French  fleet,  instructing  each  to  provide  pilots,  in  the  event  of  being  called  upon, 
and  "  to  have  extreme  caution  lest  the  great,  good  news  become  known." 

1785  Washington  wrote  Francis  Hopkinson,  author  of  "Hail,  Columbia/' 
who  had  sent  Robert  Edge  Pine  to  Mount  Vernon  to  ask  to  paint  his  portrait : 
"  In  for  a  penny,  in  for  a  pound,  is  an  old  adage.  I  am  so  hackneyed  to  the 
touches  of  a  painter's  pencil  that  I  am  now  altogether  at  their  beck,  and  sit  like 
1  Patience  on  a  Monument/  while  they  are  delineating  the  lines  of  my  face.  It  is 
a  proof,  among  many  others,  of  what  habit  and  custom  may  effect.  At  first  I 
was  as  impatient  of  the  request,  and  as  restive  under  the  operation  as  a  colt  is  of 
the  saddle.  The  next  time  I  submitted  very  reluctantly,  but  with  less  flouncing. 
Now  no  dray-horse  moves  more  readily  to  the  thill,  than  I  to  the  painter's  chair." 


"  There  is  a  natural  firmness  in  some  minds  which  cannot  be  unlocked  by  trifles,  but  which, 
when  unlocked,  discovers  a  cabinet  of  fortitude ;  and  I  reckon  it  among  those  kind  of  public 
blessings,  which  we  do  not  immediately  see,  that  God  hath  blessed  Washington  with  uninter- 
rupted health,  and  given  him  a  mind  that  can  even  flourish  upon  care." 

Thomas  Paine  ( ' '  TJie  A  merican  Crisis  " ) . 

MAY  SEVENTEENTH. 

1776  The  General  had  announced  the  resolution  of  Congress  that  this  day 
was  to  be  observed  in  the  army  with  "  fasting,  humiliation  and  prayer,"  and 
requested  "  all  officers  and  soldiers  to  pay  strict  obedience  to  the  orders  of  the 
Continental  Congress;  that  by  their  unfeigned  and  pious  observance  of  their 
religious  duties,  they  may  incline  the  Lord  and  Giver  of  Victory  to  prosper  our 
arms." 

1781  General  Washington  arranged  for  a  meeting  at  the  Webb  House, 
Wethersfield,  Conn.,  with  Count  de  Rochambeau  and  his  son,  the  Viscount,  who 
had  returned  from  a  mission  to  the  court  of  Versailles,  for  the  purpose  of  ask- 
ing relief  for  our  soldiers.  It  was  with  the  liveliest  satisfaction  he  learned  "  that 
Admiral  Count  de  Grasse  had  cleared  the  harbor  at  Brest,  with  a  strong  squadron 
escorting  a  convoy  of  transports  laden  with  supplies  for  the  army." 

1784  President  General  Washington  issued  a  circular  letter  embodying  the 
changes  that  should  be  made  in  the  constitution  of  the  Society  of  the  Cincin- 
nati. He  suggested  to  "  Strike  out  every  sentence  which  has  a  political  tendency, 
and  admit  no  more  honorary  members."  During  this  session  Washington  wrote 
a  most  fraternal  letter  to  Rochambeau,  in  which  he  thanked  him  but  declined  to 
accept  a  sum  of  money  subscribed  by  French  officers  to  sustain  the  society. 


"Toan  unalterable  tranquillity  of  mind  be  joins  a  most  exact  judgment;  and  the  utmost 
with  which  he  has  been  reproached  is  a  little  tardiness  in  his  determination,  and  even,  in  the 
execution  of  his  decisions,  when  he  has  once  made  them."  Prince  de  Broglie  {France). 


74  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


MAY  EIGHTEENTH. 


1754  Lieutenant-Colonel  Washington  wrote  Governor  Dinwiddie  from  Great 
Crossing,  Youghiogany :  "  I  hope  your  Honor  will  order  some  Wampum  be  sent. 
Indeed  we  ought  to  have  Spirit,  and  many  other  things  of  this  sort,  which  is 
always  expected  of  every  Indian  that  brings  a  message,  or  good  report.  Also 
the  chiefs,  who  visit  and  converse  in  council  expect  it." 

1760  "  Set  out  in  company  with  Mr.  George  Johnson.  At  Colchester  was 
informed  by  Colo's  Thornton  and  Chissel  that  the  Assembly  would  be  broke  up 
before  I  cou'd  get  down.  Turn'd  back  therefore  and  found  Colo  Fairfax  and  his 
family,  and  that  lightning,  which  had  attended  a  good  deal  of  rain,  had  struck 
my  quarter  and  near  10  Negroes  in  it,  some  shocked  very  bad  but  with  letting 
blood  they  recovered."  This  entry  in  his  diary,  ten  days  before,  explains  delay 
in  starting  for  Williamsburg :  "  Set  out  for  Frederick  to  see  my  Negroes  that 
lay  ill  of  the  small  pox."  He  found  his  quarter  in  utmost  distress.  Several  of 
the  negroes  had  died,  and  the  overseer  was  disabled  with  a  broken  leg. 

1789  The  President  received  at  the  Executive  Mansion  the  committee  of  the 
Senate,  and  replied  to  their  address,  concluding  with  the  gracious  sentence,  "  I 
readily  engage  with  you  in  the  pleasing  task  of  attempting  to  make  a  nation 
happy." 


"  I  have  from  the  beginning,  and  I  hope  I  shall  to  the  end,  pursue  to  the  utmost  of  my  judg- 
ment and  abilities,  one  steady  line  of  conduct  for  the  good  of  the  great  whole.  This  will  under 
all  circumstances,  administer  consolation  to  myself,  however  short  I  may  fall  in  the  expectation 
of  others."  Washington. 

MAY  NINETEENTH. 

1747  To  her  brother,  Joseph  Ball,  Esq.,  Barrister,  Mary  Washington  natu- 
rally turned  for  advice,  having  been  a  member  of  his  family  in  London,  when  a 
beautiful  young  girl.  He  replied :  "  Rather  than  put  your  son  George  in  the 
English  Navy,  apprentice  him  to  a  Tinker."  Not  entering  the  Royal  Navy  was 
a  disappointment  to  the  young  Virginian,  whose  ambition,  it  seems,  was  to  follow 
the  profession  of  his  beloved  brother  Lawrence. 

1778  Washington  ordered  General  Lafayette  to  command  "  a  valuable  de- 
tachment,??  and  move  between  the  Schuylkill  and  Delaware.  He  was  attacked 
by  General  Grant  with  a  greatly  superior  force,  Sir  Henry  Clinton  having 
planned  the  capture  of  the  youthful  commander.  By  a  masterly  retreat,  La- 
fayette with  his  troops  crossed  the  Schuylkill  at  Matson's  Ford,  and  Washington 
said :  "  The  Marquis  by  his  own  dexterity,  or  the  enemy's  want  of  it,  disengaged 
himself  in  a  very  soldierlike  manner." 

1796  President  Washington  nominated  Senator  Rufus  King,  of  New  York, 
minister  to  the  court  of  St.  James,  to  succeed  Thomas  Pinckney,  who,  at  his  own 
request,  had  been  recalled.  Washington  said :  u  There  can  be  no  doubt  of  his 
abilities,  nor  in  my  mind  is  there  any  of  his  fitness,  but  you  know  what  has  been 
said  of  his  political  sentiments  with  respect  to  another  form  of  government." 


"No  one  who  has  not  been  in  England,  can  have  a  just  idea  of  the  admiration  expressed 
among  all  parties  for  General  Washington.  It  is  a  common  observation,  that  he  is  not  only  the 
most  illustrious,  but  the  most  meritorious  character  that  has  yet  appeared." 

Rufus  King  {New  York,  1797). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  75 


MAY  TWENTIETH. 


1752  Major  Washington,  yet  a  minor,  wrote  to  William  A.  Fauntleroy,  a 
relative  of  Miss  Betsy  Fauntleroy,  saying,  "  I  was  taken  with  a  violent  pleurise 
which  reduced  me  very  low  j  but  propose  as  soon  as  I  recover  my  strength,  to 
wait  on  Miss  Betsy,  in  hopes  of  a  revocation  of  the  former  cruel  sentence." 
Miss  Betsy,  "  the  Lowland  Beauty,"  proved  obdurate,  but  was  made  immortal 
through  the  youthful  passion  of  a  great  man. 

1754  Lieutenant-Colonel  Washington  embarked  in  a  canoe  with  Lieuten- 
ant West,  three  soldiers,  and  one  Indian  guide,  in  an  attempt  to  navigate  the 
Youghiogany.  He  reported  to  the  Governor  that  he  found  this  turbulent  stream 
unnavigable.  He  also  said :  "  The  Indian  that  accompanied  me  down  the  river, 
would  go  no  further  than  the  Forks,  till  I  promised  him  a  ruffled  shirt,  (which  I 
must  take  from  my  own),  and  a  watch-coat." 

1791  At  Augusta  the  President  assured  Governor  Edmund  Telfair,  "I 
shall  always  retain  a  most  pleasing  remembrance  of  the  polite  and  hospitable 
attentions  which  I  have  received  in  my  tour  through  the  state  of  Georgia,  and 
during  my  stay  at  the  residence  of  your  government." 


"During  the  whole  period  of  his  life  he  was  the  thinking  part  of  the  nation.  He  was  its 
mind ;  it  was  his  image  and  illustration.  If  we  would  classify  and  measure  him,  it  must  be  with 
nations,  not  individuals.  In  all  things  admirable ;  in  all  things  to  be  imitated ;  in  some  things 
scarce  imitable  and  only  to  be  admired."  Btifus  Wilmot  Griswold  (Vermont). 

MAY  TWENTY-FIBST. 

1772  Colonel  Washington  wrote  to  Rev.  Jonathan  Boucher:  "Inclination 
having  yielded  to  Importunity,  I  am  now  contrary  to  all  expectation,  under  the 
hands  of  Mr.  Peale  j  but  in  so  grave,  so  sullen  a  mood,  and  now  and  then  under 
the  influence  of  Morpheus,  when  some  critical  strokes  are  making,  that  I  fancy 
the  skill  of  this  Gentleman's  Pencil,  will  be  put  to  it,  in  describing  to  the  World 
what  manner  of  man  I  am.  I  have  no  doubt  of  Mr.  Peale's  meeting  very  good 
Incouragement  in  a  tour  to  Williamsburg ;  for  having  mentioned  him  to  some 
Gentlemen  at  our  Court  they  seem  desirous  of  employing  him  on  his  way  down." 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief,  having  placed  Major-General  Putnam  in  com- 
mand at  New  York,  left  for  Philadelphia,  in  obedience  to  an  order  from  Con- 
gress. He  was  accompanied  by  his  wife  5  and  they  tarried  over  night  at  Amboy, 
where  Washington  "  viewed  the  ground,"  and  decided  what  works  would  be 
proper  for  the  defense  of  that  point. 

1791  "Left  Augusta  about  6  o'clock  &  taking  leave  of  the  Governor  &  prin- 
cipal Gentlemen  of  the  place  at  the  bridge  over  Savanna  River,  where  they  had 
assembled  for  the  purpose ;  I  proceeded  in  company  with  Colns-  Hampton  &  Tay- 
lor &  Mr.  Lithgow,  a  Committee  from  Columbia."     Washington's  Diary. 


"If  we  designate  by  ' Character I  a  combination  of  will  and  principle,  Washington  was  a 
man  of  great  character.  .  .  .  Washington  loved  his  country  as  an  upright  patriot,  but  we  recol- 
lect no  case  in  which  his  patriotism  dimmed  his  conscientiousness.  .  .  .  Washington  never  per- 
secuted; he  imprisoned  no  personal  enemy ;  and  when  he  died,  his  hands,  like  those  of  Pericles, 
were  unstained."  Francis  IAeber  (Germany). 


76  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

MAY  TWENTY-SECOND. 

1782  To  Colonel  Lewis  Nicola's  suggestion  that  he  should  take  advantage  of 
the  discontent  in  the  army  and  the  dilatory  action  of  Congress,  and  "Assume  the 
Crown  of  America,"  Washington  sent  a  stern  and  indignant  rebuke,  concluding 
with,  "  Let  me  conjure  you,  if  you  have  any  regard  for  your  country,  concern  for 
yourself,  or  posterity,  or  respect  for  me:  to  banish  these  thoughts  from  your 
mind,  and  never  communicate  a  sentiment  of  the  like  nature." 

1794  "I  learn  with  concern  that  your  crops  are  still  laboring  under  a 
drought,  and  most  of  them  very  much  injured.  At  disappointments  and  losses 
which  are  the  effects  of  providential  acts,  I  never  repine,  because  I  am  sure  the 
alwise  disposer  of  events  knows  better  than  we  do,  what  is  best  for  us,  or  what 
we  deserve."     Washington  to  his  manager. 

1802  Martha  Dandridge,  widow  of  George  Washington,  died  at  Mount  Ver- 
non. It  is  rare  to  find  among  representative  women  of  the  Old  or  New  World, 
one  who  so  faithfully  and  with  such  dignity  stood  beside  a  hero  and  became  so 
unobtrusively  a  part  of  his  life. 


" Because  there  was  but  one  consenting  voice  "Conventional  and  trite — as  if  a  man 

In  the  world's  estimate  of  him  in  whom  Should  praise  the  sunshine  and  the  air,  and  all 

Our  Country's  fate  was  centred,  and  whose  The  enfolding  elements  of  mortal  life, 

hand  And  so  the  mighty  name  of  Washington 

By  wisdom  and  by  valor  guided,  wrought  Is  the  grand  synonym  of  all  we  prize 

The  freedom  in  whose  light  the  nation  lives  —  Of  great  and  good  in  this  wide  Western  World."' 
Wherefore  all  praise  of  him  has  grown  to  be  Christopher  Pearse  Cranch  {Virginia). 

MAY  TWENTY-THIRD. 

1756  Colonel  Washington,  from  the  frontier,  wrote  to  Governor  Dinwiddie : 
u  It  gave  me  infinite  concern  to  find  the  Assembly  had  levied  their  troops  until 
December  only.  By  the  time  they  shall  have  entered  into  the  service,  they  will 
claim  a  discharge.  To  get  the  least  smattering  of  the  duty  they  cannot,  and  we 
find  by  experience,  that  our  poor  and  ragged  soldiers  would  kill  the  most  likely 
militia  in  five  days  marching,  so  little  are  the  latter  acquainted  with  fatigue." 

1776  Congress,  sitting  in  Philadelphia,  appointed  Benjamin  Harrison,  Rich- 
ard H.  Lee,  John  Adams,  James  Wilson,  and  Edward  Rutledge  a  committee  to 
confer  with  Generals  Washington,  Gates,  and  Mifflin  on  "  the  most  speedy  and 
effectual  means  for  supporting  the  American  cause  in  Canada." 

1781  The  Commander-in-chief  and  Count  de  Rochambeau  determined  to 
attack  Sir  Henry  Clinton  at  New  York.  During  the  few  days  at  Wethersfieldr 
Washington  saw  a  great  deal  of  his  dear  friend  and  patriotic  adviser,  Jonathan 
Trumbull.  This  record  is  made  in  his  journal:  "  Count  de  Rochambeau  set  out 
on  his  return  to  Newport,  while  I  prepared  and  forwarded  dispatches  to  the  four 
New  England  States  calling  on  them,  in  earnest  and  pointed  terms,  to  compleat 
their  Continental  Battalions  for  the  campaign." 

1788    South  Carolina  adopted  the  Federal  Constitution. 


"What  Englishman  is  there  who  is  not  proud  of  the  once  dreaded  name  of  Washington." 

Dean  Stanley  (England)* 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  77 

MAY  TWENTY-FOURTH. 

1774  The  Virginia  House  of  Burgesses,  of  which  Colonel  Washington  had 
been  a  member  since  1758,  learning  the  order  of  Parliament  to  close  the  port  of 
Boston  on  the  first  day  of  June,  resolved :  "  That  a  day  be  set  apart  by  this  House 
as  a  day  of  humiliation  and  prayer,  devoutly  to  implore  the  divine  intervention 
for  the  heavy  calamity  that  threatens  their  civil  rights."  A  resolution  was  of- 
fered by  Richard  Henry  Lee  for  a  general  congress  of  the  colonies.  These 
acts  so  incensed  Governor  Dunmore,  that  two  days  later  he  dissolved  the  House. 
This  old  Colonial  hall  had  been  a  training-school  of  Virginia  patriots. 

1779  The  Commander-in-chief,  from  Middlebrook,  wrote  to  the  president  of 
Congress  :  "  The  predatory  war,  which  the  enemy  now  seem  resolved  to  carry  on, 
will  be  very  distressing.  Little  aid  can  be  afforded  from  the  army  in  its  present 
situation,  and  the  militia  appear  too  ill  provided  with  arms  to  defend  themselves. 
How  this  can  be  remedied,  and  the  army  supplied,  I  know  not." 

1791  The  President,  at  Columbia,  S.  C,  offered  the  seat  on  the  Supreme 
Bench,  made  vacant  by  the  resignation  of  John  Rutledge,  to  Edmund  Rutledge, 
and  then  to  Charles  Cotesworth  Pinckney ;  both  of  these  distinguished,  conscien- 
tious patriots  declined  that  great  honor. 


"Washington  (1769)  towered  now  on  the  threshold  of  an  arena  of  danger,  death,  and  glory 
from  which  he  was  to  emerge  in  after  years  worn,  stern  and  gray,  but  with  such  a  halo  of  external 
fame  about  his  lofty  head,  as  was  never  before  nor  since  accorded  to  man  by  the  universal  ac- 
claim of  the  civilized  world."  Daniel  W.  Voorhees  (Indiana). 

MAY  TWENTY-FIFTH. 

1787  A  quorum  being  established,  Robert  Morris,  in  the  absence  of  Benja- 
min Franklin,  who  was  too  feeble  to  brave  a  severe  storm,  nominated  G-eorge 
Washington,  of  Virginia,  and  he  was  unanimously  chosen  "  President  of  the  Con- 
stitutional Convention,"  and  conducted  to  the  chair  by  Robert  Morris  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  John  Rutledge  of  South  Carolina.  Perhaps  no  other  man  could 
have  so  controlled  and  held  together  those  discordant  elements.  The  convention 
was  the  great  battle-field  of  sections ;  and  over  every  point  there  was  a  fierce  con- 
test. When  Washington  took  the  chair,  he  said :  "  Let  us  raise  a  standard  to 
which  the  wise  and  honest  can  repair ;  the  event  is  in  the  hands  of  God." 

1791  President  Washington,  at  Camden,  S.  C,  visited  the  grave  of  De  Kalb, 
and  to  the  citizens  said :  "  Your  grateful  remembrance  of  that  excellent  friend  and 
gallant  officer,  the  Baron  De  Kalb,  does  honor  to  the  goodness  of  your  hearts. 
With  your  regrets  I  mingle  mine  for  his  loss,  and  to  your  praise  I  join  the  trib- 
ute of  my  esteem  for  his  memory."  The  following  day  he  made  this  entry:  "  Af- 
ter viewing  the  British  works  about  Camden,  I  set  out  for  Charlotte  on  my  way, 
two  miles  from  town,  and  examined  the  ground  on  wch.  Genl.  Green  and  Lord 
Rawden  had  their  action  (Hobkirk's  Hill,  April  25,  1781).  .  .  .  Six  miles  further 
on  I  came  to  the  ground  where  Genl.  Gates  and  Lord  Cornwallis  had  their  en- 
gagement (August  16,  1782),  wch.  terminated  so  unfavorably  for  the  former." 


"Men  agree  to  honor  Washington  because  in  his  life  they  think  they  have  a  demonstration 
that  right  is  might."  Edward  Everett  Hale  (Massachusetts). 


78  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

MAY  TWENTY-SIXTH. 

1777  "  Let  vice  and  immorality  of  every  kind  be  discouraged  as  much  as 
possible,  and  as  a  Chaplain  is  allowed  to  each  regiment,  see  that  the  men  regu- 
larly attend  divine  worship.  Gaming  of  every  kind  is  expressly  forbidden,  as 
being  the  foundation  of  evil  and  the  cause  of  many  a  brave  and  gallant  officer's 
ruin.  Games  of  exercise  for  amusement  may  not  only  be  permitted  but  encour- 
aged. "     Washington's  Orderly  Book  (Morristown). 

1781  Washington  received  a  notification  from  Hon.  John  Laurens,  Paris, 
that  6,000,000  livres  had  been  donated  to  the  American  cause,  to  be  applied  in 
part  to  the  purchase  of  arms  and  clothes  for  the  troops,  and  the  balance  to  his 
order.  This  at  once  aroused  the  jealousy  of  Congress,  or  rather  of  that  faction 
on  the  outlook  for  a  grievance  against  the  Commander-in-chief;  and  might  have 
resulted  in  embarrassment,  but  for  the  ready  diplomacy  of  the  Marquis  de  la 
Luzerne,  who  inserted  "  or  to  some  other  person." 

1785  En  route  to  Annapolis,  Bishop  Francis  Asbury,  and  Rev.  Thomas  Coxe, 
of  the  M.  E.  Church,  dined  at  Mount  Vernon  by  invitation.  They  asked  Wash- 
ington if  he  thought  it  wise  to  sign  a  petition  for  the  emancipation  of  slaves. 
He  replied  that  it  would  not  be  proper  for  him,  but  added,  u  If  the  Maryland  As- 
sembly discussed  the  matter;  I  will  address  a  letter  to  that  body  on  the  subject, 
as  I  have  always  approved  of  it." 


"  To  give  an  opinion  about  Washington  seems  to  me  about  like  giving  an  opinion  on  Truth, 
or  Honor,  or  Patriotism."  Elizabeth  Stuart  Phelps  Ward  (Massachusetts). 

MAY  TWENTY-SEVENTH. 

1774  Colonel  Washington  was  one  of  the  eighty-nine  burgesses  who  met  at 
"  Raleigh  Tavern,"  and  formed  an  association  to  correspond  with  other  colonies 
in  regard  to  "  The  Cause  of  Boston."  The  following  entries  in  his  diary  show, 
though  the  excitement  was  so  great,  there  was  no  interruption  of  courtesy  be- 
tween these  courtly  gentlemen :  "  Rid  out  with  the  Governor  to  his  farm  and  break- 
fasted with  him  there."  "  Dined  at  the  Treasurers,  and  went  to  a  ball  at  Wil- 
liamsburg in  honor  of  Lady  Dunmore,  given  by  the  House  of  Burgesses.7' 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief,  accompanied  by  Generals  Gates  and  Mifflin, 
and  in  the  presence  of  the  President  and  a  large  number  of  congressmen,  re- 
viewed 2800  city  militia  on  the  Parade  Ground,  Philadelphia.  He  also  reviewed 
two  battalions  of  Continental  troops.  He  was  accompanied  by  several  Indian 
chiefs,  who  were  in  the  city  "  to  attend  to  some  business  before  Congress." 

1786  General  Washington  superintended  the  improvements  needed  at  Mount 
Vernon  after  an  absence  of  eight  years.  This  day  he  records :  "  Finished  laying 
twenty-eight  courses  of  the  pavement  in  my  Piazza.  Weather  very  unfavorable 
for  it."  This  piazza  is  ninety-six  feet  lon^,  twelve  and  a  half  feet  wide.  The 
flagging  was  brought  from  the  Isle  of  Wight,  ordered  after  Washington  had 
seen  several  specimens.  It  is  twelve  inches  square,  two  and  a  half  inches  thick, 
and  remains  as  he  laid  it  more  than  a  century  ago. 


"  Since  the  day  God  created  man  on  the  earth,  none  ever  displayed  the  power  of  industry 
more  frugally  than  did  George  Washington."  Eev.  Mason  L.  Weems  (South  Carolina). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


MAY   TWENTY-EIGHTH, 


1754  Lieutenant-Colonel  Washington  and  John  Davison,  Half -King  of  the 
Mingoes,  had  a  skirmish  at  Great  Meadows  with  Captain  Jumonville  and  a 
small  detachment  of  French.  Jumonville  was  killed,  and  the  French  claimed 
that  this  officer  was  on  a  peaceful  mission  and  that  Washington  had  killed  an 
ambassador  •  but  papers  on  his  body  established  the  fact  that  Jumonville  was  in 
command  of  a  reconnoitering  party. 

1782  "  The  Commander-in-chief  is  happy  in  the  opportunity  of  announcing 
to  the  army  the  birth  of  a  Dauphin  of  France ;  and  desirous  of  giving  a  general 
occasion  for  testifying  the  satisfaction  which,  he  is  convinced,  will  pervade  the 
breast  of  every  American  officer  and  soldier  on  the  communication  of  an  event 
so  highly  interesting  to  a  monarch  and  nation  who  have  given  such  distinguish- 
ing proofs  of  their  attachment,  is  pleased  to  order  a  feu-de  joie  on  Thursday 
next."     Washington's  Orderly  Boole  (Newburg). 

1789  Mrs.  Washington,  Mrs.  Morris,  and  Mrs.  Jay,  who  had  passed  the 
night  at  "Liberty  Hall/7  Elizabeth,  the  home  of  Governor  Livingston,  were 
joined  at  breakfast  by  their  husbands.  The  partv  embarked  on  the  President's 
barge,  and  reached  New  York  at  noon.  "  No  foreign  Queen  was  ever  welcomed 
by  a  loving  people  with  more  genuine  delight." 


"  The  character  of  Washington  in  war,  in  peace  and  in  private  life  is  the  most  sublime  on 
historical  record."  William  Hickling  Prescott  (Massachusetts). 

MAY  TWENTY-NINTH. 

1754  From  Great  Meadows  Lieutenant-Colonel  Washington  sent  to  Gov- 
ernor Dinwiddie  four  Frenchmen  with  a  letter,  saying,  "  The  bearers  hereof, 
Monsieur  Drouillon,  Monsieur  La  Force,  and  two  cadets,  I  beg  leave  to  recom- 
mend to  your  particular  notice  as  prisoners  of  war  and  officers  whom  I  had  the 
honor  of  taking.  The  French  Prisoners  asked  me  in  what  Manner  I  looked 
upon  them,  whether  as  the  Attendants  of  an  Embassador,  or  as  Prisoners  of 
War :  I  answered  them  that  it  was  in  the  Quality  of  the  Latter." 

1786  "  About  nine  o'clock,  Mr.  Tobias  Lear,  who  had  been  previously  en- 
gaged on  a  salery  of  two  hundred  dollars  a  year  to  live  with  me  as  private 
secretary,  and  preceptor  for  Washington  Custis,  came  here  from  New  Hamp- 
shire, at  which  place  his  friends  reside."     Washington's  Diary  (Mount  Vernon). 

1789  President  Washington  gave  his  first  State  dinner  at  the  Executive 
Mansion,  No.  10  Cherry  Street,  New  York.  The  guests  were  the  Governor  of 
New  York,  the  Vice-President,  the  Speaker  of  the  House,  Hon.  John  Jay,  Gen- 
eral St.  Clair,  several  senators,  and  the  foreign  ministers.  It  was  most  informal. 
"  Washington  standing  at  the  head  of  the  table  asked  a  blessing."  The  follow- 
ing day  Mrs.  Washington  held  her  first  drawing-room,  which  event  Daniel 
Huntington  has  portrayed  in  his  beautiful  painting,  "  The  Republican  Court." 
The  President  described  the  company  as  "  large  and  respectable." 

1790  Rhode  Island  adopted  the  Federal  Constitution. 


"  Washington  never  neglected  any  duties,  filial,  domestic  or  public." 

Benson  John  Lossing  (New  York). 


80  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

MAY  THIRTIETH. 

1755  Colonel  Washington,  having  been  despatched  on  the  15th,  by  General 
Braddock,  to  Williamsburg,  reached  the  camp  at  Wills  Creek  (Cumberland,  Md.), 
bringing  four  thousand  pounds,  the  result  of  his  mission  to  the  capital.  His 
position  as  aide-de-camp  to  the  general  had  been  officially  announced. 

1757  Colonel  Washington,  from  Fort  Loudoun,  Winchester,  Va., —  the  most 
important  of  the  chain  of  frontier  defenses  he  established, — wrote  to  the  Speaker 
of  the  House  of  Burgesses  that,  "  Bullen,  a  Catawba  warrior,  has  been  propos- 
ing a  plan  to  Captain  Gist  for  bringing  in  the  Creek  and  Chickasaw  Indians. 
If  such  a  scheme  as  this  can  be  effected  by  the  time  we  shall  march  to  Fort 
Duquesne,  it  would  be  a  glorious  undertaking,  and  worthy  the  man." 

1794  The  Senate  confirmed  the  nomination  of  John  Quincy  Adams  as  minister 
resident  to  The  Hague.  He  was  only  twenty-eight  when  Washington  gavo  him 
this  important  mission,  and  the  selection  was  justified  in  the  long  and  brilliant 
career  of  "  the  old  man  eloquent."  The  first  President  never  lost  interest  in  the 
young  diplomat  whom  he  so  successfully  launched  on  a  brilliant  career. 


"  If  my  wishes  would  be  of  any  avail,  they  would  go  to  you  in  a  strong  hope  that  you  will 
not  withhold  merited  promotion  from  Mr.  John  Quincy  Adams  because  he  is  your  son.  For 
without  intending  to  compliment  the  father  or  mother,  or  to  censure  any  others,  I  give  it  as  a 
decided  opinion  that  Mr.  Adams  is  the  most  valuable  public  character  we  have  abroad  and  that 
he  will  prove  himself  to  be  the  ablest  of  our  Diplomatic  Corps." 

Washington  to  President  Adams  (1797). 

MAY  THIRTY-FIRST. 

1754  Upon  the  death  this  day  at  Cumberland,  Md.,  of  Colonel  Joshua  Fry,, 
the  distinguished  scholar  and  highly  trusted  officer,  the  command  of  the  Vir- 

Einia  forces  in  the  expedition  against  the  French  and  Indians  devolved  upon 
ieutenant-Colonel  Washington.     Reinforcements  were  sent  him,  and  five  days 
later  Governor  Dinwiddie  promoted  him  to  the  rank  of  colonel. 

1769  "  Set  off  with  Mrs.  Washington  and  Patsy,  Mr.  Warner  Washington 
and  wife,  Mrs.  Bushrod  and  Miss  Washington,  and  Mr.  Magowen  for  Towlston, 
in  order  to  stand  for  Mr.  B.  Fairfax's  third  son,  which  I  did  together  with 
my  wife,  Mr.  Warner  Washington  and  his  lady."  Washington's  Diary  (Mount 
Vernon). 

1790  President  Washington,  at  the  Executive  Mansion  in  New  York,  received 
from  Thomas  Paine,  London,  the  "  Key  of  the  Bastile,"  sent  by  Lafayette,  who 
said :  "  It  is  a  tribute  which  I  owe  as  a  son  to  my  adopted  Father ;  as  an  aide- 
de-camp  to  my  General ;  as  a  Missionary  of  Liberty  to  its  patriarch."  When 
Paine  transmitted  it  to  Washington,  he  wrote  :  "  That  the  principles  of  America 
opened  the  Bastile  is  not  to  be  doubted  ;  therefore  the  key  comes  to  the  right 
place."  The  key  now  hangs  under  a  glass  case  at  Mount  Vernon,  where  Wash- 
ington placed  it.  Benjamin  West,  the  venerable  painter,  asked  Colonel  Trumbull 
to  make  this  presentation  the  subject  of  an  historical  picture.* 


Washington  invested  everything  he  touched  with  a  kind  of  sacredness." 

Dr.  Von  Hoist  (Germany). 


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JUNE  FIRST. 

1774  Colonel  Washington  went  to  church  and  fasted  all  day,  in  pursuance 
of  the  resolution  passed  by  the  House  of  Burgesses.  Of  the  feeling  in  regard 
to  closing  the  port  of  Boston,  Jefferson  said :  "  The  people  met  generally  with 
anxiety  and  alarm  in  their  countenances,  and  the  effect  of  the  day,  through  the 
whole  Colony,  was  like  a  shock  of  electricity,  arousing  every  man,  and  placing 
him  erect  and  solidly  on  his  center." 

1780  The  Commander-in-chief,  through  a  handbill  published  by  authority  in 
the  city  of  New  York,  received  the  news  of  the  capitulation  by  Major-General 
Lincoln  to  Sir  Henry  Clinton  of  Charleston,  S.  C.  At  this  time  he  was  also 
greatly  depressed  by  the  discords  and  dissensions  existing  between  subordinate 
commands,  and  having  close  to  his  heart  the  union  of  the  Colonies  and  the 
unity  of  the  army,  he  thus  wrote  to  a  member  of  Congress :  u  I  see  one  head 
gradually  changing  into  thirteen,  I  see  one  army  branching  into  thirteen,  which, 
instead  of  looking  up  to  Congress  as  the  Supreme  controlling  power  of  the  United 
States,  are  considering  themselves  as  dependent  on  their  respective  States." 

1787  During  the  sitting  of  the  Convention,  Washington  seems  to  have  found 
social  relaxations.  Among  other  recreations  he  notes :  "Accompanied  Mrs.  Morris 
and  some  ladies  to  hear  a  Mrs.  O'Connell  read.  The  lady  being  reduced  in  cir- 
cumstances had  recourse  to  this  expedient  to  obtain  a  little  money." 

1791  To  the  United  Brethren  of  the  Moravian  Church,  Saiem,  N.  C,  the 
President  said :  "  From  a  society  whose  governing  principles  are  industry  and 
love  of  order,  much  may  be  expected  towards  the  improvement  and  prosperity  of 
the  country  in  which  their  settlements  are  found,  and  experience  authorizes  the 
belief  that  much  will  be  obtained." 

1792  President  Washington  approved  the  act  admitting  Kentucky  into  the 
Union.  This  Territory  had  been  greatly  disturbed  regarding  the  restrictions  of 
Statehood,  and  nine  conventions  were  held  before  the  people  were  satisfied.  On 
this  day  four  years  later  he  approved  the  act  admitting  Tennessee,  making 
three  States  added  to  the  Union  and  three  stars  added  to  the  flag  during  his 
administration. 


Oh !  who  shall  know  of  the  might 
Of  the  words  he  uttered  there  T 
The  fate  of  nations  then  was  turned 
By  the  fervor  of  that  prayer. 


But  wouldst  thou  know  his  words, 
"Who  wandered  there  alone  ? 
Go,  read  enrolled  in  Heaven's  archives, 
The  prayer  of  Washington."  Anon. 


81 


82  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

JUNE   SECOND. 

1754  Colonel  Washington,  from  Great  Meadow  Camp,  wrote  Governor  Din- 
widdie  of  the  arrival  of  "  the  Half  King  with  about  25  Family s,  count'g  near 
80  persons  including  women  and  children.  He  has  given  me  some  acc't  of  the 
Twigtees,  Wyandotts,  and  several  other  nations  of  Indians,  which  I  have  trans- 
mitted to  your  Honor  by  an  express." 

1779  The  Commander-in-chief  received  at  Middlebrook  addresses  from  min- 
isters and  deacons  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church  of  Raritan,  N.  J.,  commending 
his  wisdom,  caution,  and  patriotism,  and  assuring  him  of  the  support  of  their 
people.  Having  given  General  Sullivan  a  command  of  three  thousand  men,  with 
the  order  to  penetrate  "the  very  heart  of  the  Indian  Settlement"  and  avenge 
the  massacre  of  Wyoming  on  the  Six  Nations,  he  wrote  to  the  president  of 
Congress :  u  I  expect  to  set  out  to-morrow  towards  the  Highlands,  by  way  of 
Morristown.  We  shall  press  forward  with  all  diligence,  and  do  every  thing  in 
our  power  to  disappoint  the  enemy." 

1783  General  Washington,  from  Newburg,  issued  orders  in  conformity  with 
a  resolution  of  Congress:  "  To  grant  furloughs  to  noncommissioned  officers 
and  soldiers  enlisted  to  serve  during  the  war,  who  shall  be  discharged  as  soon  as 
the  definitive  treaty  of  peace  is  concluded ;  that  the  Secretary  of  War  take  the 
proper  measures  for  conducting  those  troops  to  their  respective  homes." 


"  I  regard  George  Washington  as  not  only  one  of  the  great  men  of  history,  but  in  a  conspicu- 
ous sense  as  an  instrument  in  the  hands  of  Providence  in  effecting  the  civil  and  political  eman- 
cipation of  this  nation,  as  Moses  was  the  instrument  of  God  in  the  deliverance  of  the  Hebrew 
people  from  religious  bondage."  John,  Cardinal  Gibbons. 

JUNE   THIRD. 

1773  Colonel  Washington,  returning  from  Princeton,  where  he  accompanied 
his  stepson,  Mr.  Custis,  notes  in  his  diary:  "Rid  to  the  Meadows  along  the 
River  before  breakfast.  About  11  o'clock  left  Philadelphia :  dined  at  the  Sorrel 
House,  13  miles  from  it,  and  lodged  at  the  Ship  Tavern,  34  off."  Upon  his  ar- 
rival at  Mount  Vernon  he  found  his  stepdaughter,  Martha  Parke  Custis,  to 
whom  he  was  devoted,  alarmingly  ill.  In  one  of  his  domestic  orders  to  London  in 
1759,  these  significant  items  appear :  "  A  fashionably  dressed  doll-Baby,  to  cost 
one  guinea,  another,  to  cost  five  shillings." 

1776  Congress,  at  the  suggestion  of  the  Commander-in-chief,  passed  an  act 
calling  for  ten  thousand  troops,  to  establish  in  the  Middle  Colonies  a  "  Flying 
Camp"  as  a  reserve  force.  Washington  was  anxious  to  have  the  recruits  in 
camp  for  drilling  and  discipline,  and  wrote  strong  letters  urging  Governor  Trum- 
bull and  other  governors  to  hurry  the  enlistment  of  their  quotas. 

1790  President  Washington  congratulated  himself  upon  his  ofiicial  surround- 
ings :  "  By  having  Mr.  Jefferson  at  the  head  of  the  Department  of  State,  Mr.  Jay 
of  the  Judiciary,  Mr.  Hamilton  of  the  Treasury  and  Knox  of  that  of  War,  I  feel 
myself  supported  by  able  coadjutors,  who  harmonize  extremely  well  together." 


"  As  a  Warrior  he  served  refusing  pay  and  led  in  the  achievement  of  our  independence.  As 
a  Statesman  and  Lawgiver  his  guiding  wisdom  assisted  in  framing  the  Constitutional  Law.  As 
first  President  of  the  United  States  he  governed  with  firmness  and  moderation." 

John  Sartain  (Pennsylvania). 


GEOKGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY,  83 

JUNE  FOURTH. 

1775  Washington  wrote  his  wife  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morris  had  persuaded  him 
to  have  his  luggage  brought  and  remain  there  during  his  stay.  "  Dined  at  Rob- 
ert Morris's  on  the  banks  of  the  School  ~k%U?  Washington's  Diary.  This  is  a  sig- 
nificant record  of  the  beginning  of  a  friendship  between  the  future  Commander 
of  the  American  forces  and  the  able  and  patriotic  financier  of  the  Revolution. 
Their  relations  were  not  affected  by  the  strange  vicissitudes  of  fortune :  to-day 
the  guest  of  Morris  in  his  palatial  home,  and  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  later 
visiting  the  same  friend  within  the  gloomy  walls  of  a  debtors'  prison. 

1782  Washington  wrote  from  the  Hudson  :  "lam  just  informed  by  the  sec- 
retary of  war,  that  Captain  Asgill  of  the  British  guards,  an  unfortunate  officer 
who  is  destined  to  be  the  unhappy  victim  to  atone  for  the  death  of  Captain 
Huddy,  had  arrived  in  Philadelphia,  and  would  set  off  soon  for  the  Jersey  line, 
the  place  assigned  for  his  execution." 

1790  President  Washington  congratulated  Governor  Fenner  upon  the  ratifi- 
cation of  the  Constitution  by  Rhode  Island  and  the  Providence  Plantation,  say- 
ing, "  Since  the  bond  of  union  is  now  complete  and  we  are  once  more  considered 
as  one  family,  it  is  to  be  hoped  reproaches  will  cease  and  judgments  be  done 
away  with." 


"His  more  than  Roman  virtues,  his  consummate  prudence,  his  powerful  intellect,  and  his 
dauntless  decision  and  dignity  of  character,  would  have  made  him  illustrious  in  any  age.  The 
crisis  would  have  done  nothing  for  him,  had  not  his  character  stood  ready  to  merit  it." 

William  Wirt  {Virginia). 

JUNE  FIFTH. 

1771  Colonel  Washington  wrote  to  Dr.  Boucher  in  regard  to  Jack  Custis : 
"  However  desirable  it  may  be  to  see  him  travel  under  the  care  of  a  Gentleman 
who  would  endeavor  to  guard,  &  steer  him  clear  of  those  follies  &  vices  which 
youth  almost  imperceptably  falls  into,  at  the  same  time  that  he  was  Instilling 
into  him  taste  for  useful  knowledge  and  improvement.  Yet  I  must  own  I  should 
never  wish  to  see  him  set  out  for  England,  at  his  time  of  Life  recommended  to 
the  care  of  a  merchant  only,  or  to  Embark  on  a  Tour  of  the  kind  you  propose 
without  a  Conductor."  Dr.  Jonathan  Boucher,  Jacky  Custis's  preceptor,  was  a 
fine  classic  scholar  j  but  in  1776  his  Tory  principles  were  so  offensive  to  the  pa- 
triotic Marylanders  that  his  property  was  confiscated,  and  he  was  glad  to  get 
back  to  a  Merrie  England." 

1783  General  Washington,  referring  to  the  only  major-general  of  the  four 
appointed  when  he  took  command,  of  the  army  who  remained  in  service  until 
the  close  of  the  war,  said :  "  Among  the  many  worthy  and  meritorious  officers, 
with  whom  I  have  had  the  happiness  to  be  connected  in  service  through  the 
course  of  this  war,  and  from  whose  cheerful  assistance  and  advice  I  have  re- 
ceived much  support  and  confidence,  in  the  various  and  trying  vicissitudes  of  a 
complicated  contest,  the  name  of  a  Putnam  is  not  forgotten." 


"  Washington  read  little,  but  with  close  attention.  Whatever  he  took  in  hand  he  applied 
himself  to  with  ease,  and  his  papers  which  have  been  preserved,  show  how  almost  imperceptibly 
he  gained  the  power  of  writing  correctly,  always  expressing  himself  with  clearness  and  direct- 
ness, often  with  felicity  of  language  and  grace."  George  Bancroft. 


84  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


JUNE   SIXTH. 


1754  Colonel  Washington  noted:  "Mr.  Gist  is  returned,  and  acquaints  me  of 
the  Death  of  poor  Colonel  Fry,  and  of  the  safe  Arrival  of  the  French  Prisoners 
at  Winchester,  which  gave  the  Governor  great  satisfaction.  I  am  also  informed 
that,  Mr.  Montour  (an  Indian  trader)  is  coming  with  a  Commission  to  command 
Two  Hundred  Indians." 

1783  The  Commander-in-chief  received  at  Newburg  an  address  from  the 
generals  and  other  officers  commanding  regiments  and  corps  in  the  cantonment  on 
the  Hudson  River,  in  regard  to  furloughing  officers  and  soldiers  without  satis- 
factory settlement  of  their  accounts.  In  reply,  he  assured  them,  "Congress 
would  attend  particularly  to  their  grievances,"  but  begged  their  patience  in  con- 
sideration of  the  state  of  the  finances. 

1793  Mrs.  Fielding  Lewis,  from  Kenmore,  wrote  her  brother,  the  President, 
in  regard  to  her  niece  Harriet,  a  gay,  bright  girl,  very  much  on  their  minds : 
"  The  money  you  sent  from  Philadelphia  purchased  her  a  dress  for  the  Birth- 
night.  It  must  have  appeared  Particular  had  I  refused  to  let  her  go,  and  having 
nothing  fit  for  that  purpose  obliged  me  to  lay  out  that  money  for  that  dress." 
"  The  Birthnight"  was  the  annual  ball  in  Alexandria,  February  22d. 


"There  is  a  remarkable  air  of  dignity  about  him,  with  a  striking  degree  of  gracefulness. 
He  has  an  excellent  understanding,  without  much  quickness,  is  strictly  just,  vigilant  and  gener- 
ous; an  affectionate  husband,  a  faithful  friend,  a  father  to  the  deserving  soldier,  gentle  in  his 
manner,  in  temper  mild,  a  total  stranger  to  religious  prejudices;  in  morals,  irreproachable,  and 
never  known  to  exceed  the  bounds  of  the  most  rigid  temperance."       London  Chronicle  (1780). 

JUNE   SEVENTH. 

1755  From  the  frontier  Colonel  Washington  wrote  his  mother  he  regretted 
that  he  was  unable  to  furnish  her  with  a  Dutch  servant,  or  send  her  the  butter 
she  desired,  "  as  we  are  quite  out  of  the  part  of  the  country  where  edibles  are  to 
be  had,  and  I  am  sorry  not  to  have  been  able  to  stop  and  see  you  either  going  or 
coming  from  Williamsburg."  To  his  brother  he  said :  "I  was  escorted  by  8  men 
of  the  militia  of  Winchester  to  this  camp :  which  8  men  were  two  days  assem- 
bling, but  I  believe  they  would  not  have  been  more  than  as  many  seconds  dis- 
persing if  I  had  been  attacked." 

1777  General  Washington  expressed  surprise  and  indignation  at  the  opposi- 
tion to  inoculation,  and  wrote  his  brother :  "  Surely,  that  Impolitic  Act  restrain- 
ing Inoculation  in  Virginia  can  never  be  continued.  If  I  were  a  member  of  that 
Assembly  I  would  rather  move  for  a  Law  to  compel  Masters  of  Families  to  in- 
oculate every  child  born  within  a  certain  limited  time,  under  Severe  Penalties." 

1796  Washington,  always  intolerant  of  dishonesty,  wrote  the  following  char- 
acteristic instructions  to  his  overseer :  "  I  wish  you  would  find  out  who  robbed 
the  meat-house  at  Mount  Vernon  and  bring  him  to  punishment,  and  at  the  same 
time  secure  the  house  against  further  attempts,  for  our  drafts  will  be  pretty  large 
I  expect  when  we  come  home." 


"By  common  consent  Washington  is  regarded  as  not  merely  the  Hero  of  the  American 
Revolution,  but  the  World's  Apostle  of  Liberty." 

John  Frederick  Schroeder,  D.  D.  {Maryland). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  85 

JUNE  EIGHTH. 

1782  The  Commander-in-chief  ordered  the  first  badge  of  distinction  to  be  con- 
ferred upon  all  soldiers  who  had  served  with  credit  in  the  army  for  three  years. 
The  decoration  consisted  of  a  white  stripe  on  the  upper  part  of  the  sleeve,  "  form- 
ing a  herring-bone  figure." 

1783  General  WashiDgton  sent  to  Congress  for  its  consideration  the  cele- 
brated circular  letter  which  he  had  addressed  to  the  governors  and  presidents 
of  the  thirteen  colonies,  earnestly  and  eloquently  urging  upon  them  the  neces- 
sity of  a  federal  union.  It  is  classified  among  the  most  important  emanations 
from  Washington's  prolific  pen.  The  original  is  in  the  archives  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  State  at  Washington. 

1788  The  Federalist,  a  miniature  ship  fifteen  feet  long,  used  in  the  procession 
at  Baltimore,  in  celebrating  the  ratification  of  the  Constitution,  was  manned  by 
sea-captains  and  commanded  by  Barney,  who,  having  sailed  her  down  the  Ches- 
apeake and  up  the  Potomac  to  Mount  Vernon,  presented  her  to  Washington  in 
the  name  of  the  merchants  and  ship-masters  of  Baltimore.  In  his  diary  of  the 
9th  he  said  they  arrived  to  breakfast  and  remained  all  night.  Captain  Barney 
was  the  first  accredited  officer  of  the  United  States  Navy  j  commission  signed 
February  22,  1796,  to  take  effect  from  June  4,  1794. 


"  Washington's  circular  letter  sent  from  Newburgh  was  the  keystone  of  the  Union.  It  was 
termed  '  the  inestimable  legacy  bequeathed  to  his  country.'  ...  It  is  my  opinion  that  Wash- 
ington's influence  will  do  more  than  all  the  assemblies  on  the  continent.  I  have  always  thought 
him  exceedingly  popular,  but  in  many  places  he  is  little  less  than  adored  and  universally 
admired."  General  Nathaniel  Greene  {Rhode  Island). 

JUNE  NINTH. 

1756  In  a  letter  to  Governor  Dinwiddie,  Colonel  Washington  accepted  the 
command  of  the  Virginia  troops.  The  force  was  1600  strong,  and  had  a  large 
element  of  vigorous  frontiersmen,  who  had  participated  more  or  less  in  the  va- 
rious Indian  campaigns. 

1768  Colonel  Washington  notes  in  his  diary  the  departure  of  the  attorney- 
general  of  the  colony  of  Virginia,  who,  with  his  wife  and  daughter,  had  been 
spending  several  days  at  Mount  Vernon.  A  large  party  of  neighbors  and  friends 
had  been  invited  to  meet  them.  The  generous  hospitality  of  country  gentlemen 
in  the  Old  Dominion  was  fashioned  after  the  manner  of  their  English  ancestors. 

1778  At  Washington's  headquarters,  Valley  Forge,  General  Charles  Lee 
took  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  United  States  of  America,  having  been  a  pris- 
oner when  it  was  administered  to  the  army.  Since  his  exchange  this  brilliant 
officer  had  received  every  consideration  from  the  Commander-in-chief;  in  fact, 
had  been  the  pet  of  the  camp.  At  this  very  time  his  mind  was  filled  with  treach- 
erous schemes  against  the  patriot  cause. 


"When  everything  in  the  education  and  environments  of  Washington  tended  to  shape  his 
views  as  a  supporter  of  the  ancient  principle  of  hereditary  monarchy  and  aristocratic  institu- 
tions, he  threw  himself  with  his  whole  force,  and  apparently  without  personal  ambition,  into 
the  scale  of  republican  government,  so  that  it  became  the  winning  side,  not  only  then  but  now; 
and  the  truth  of  his  moral  discernment  is  seen  in  the  almost  infallible  sagacity  of  his  political 
wisdom."  James  Mason  Hoppin,  LL.  D.  (Yale  College). 


86  GEOEGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


JUNE  TENTH. 


1754  Lieutenant-Colonel  Washington,  at  the  request  of  Queen  Alaquippa, 
admitted  her  son  to  the  council-fire.  He  also  presented  to  him  a  medal,  and 
bestowed  upon  him  the  name  of  "Colonel  Fairfax,"  which  the  Indians  inter- 
preted "  The  first  of  the  council.'7  Learning  that  the  Half -King  desired  an  Eng- 
lish name,  he  called  him  "Dinwiddie,"  saying  to  the  old  brave:  "The  head  of 
all."  He  gave  to  each  chief  a  medal,  wearing  one  himself,  "  in  remembrance  of 
our  great  father  the  King  of  England." 

1783  General  Washington  wrote  from  Newburg  to  the  "  Commissioners  of 
Embarkation,"  in  New  York,  a  long  and  diplomatic  letter  upon  their  limited  power 
in  conducting  the  embarkation  of  the  British  troops  under  Sir  Guy  Carleton, 
saying,  u  The  power  is  not  in  our  hands.  ...  I  see  little  more  that  you  will  be 
able  to  do  than  be  witnesses  of  the  various  acts  that  will  probably  pass  under 
your  cognizance."  As  the  army  was  being  gradually  disbanded,  it  was  an- 
nounced, "  For  the  Present,  there  will  be  one  Field  Officer,  and  an  Adjutant  for 
the  day ;  and  the  guards  only  will  form  on  the  grand  parade  at  nine  o'clock  in 
the  morning." 


"  In  his  letters  he  is  plain;  in  his  public  address  elegant ;  in  all  he  is  correct,  expressing  in 
a  small  compass  his  clear  conceptions,  without  tiresome  nervosity  or  any  parade  of  ornament. 
In  attending  to  what  has  fallen  from  his  pen  the  connection  between  modes  of  thinking  and 
writing,  between  character  and  composition,  is  apparent.  His  writings  are  worded  with  the 
strong  and  pleasing  features  of  sincerity,  simplicity,  and  dignity." 

John  Davis,  before  the  Massachusetts  Historical  Society  (1800). 

JUNE  ELEVENTH. 

1779  From  Smith's  Tavern,  in  the  Clove,  the  Commander-in-chief  wrote  to 
the  president  of  Congress :  "  We  have  taken  post  for  the  present  with  the  main 
body  of  the  army  in  this  Clove;  where  we  are  as  well  situated  as  we  could  be 
anywhere  else,  to  succor  the  forts  (on  the  Hudson)  in  case  the  future  operations 
of  the  enemy  should  be  directed  against  them."  Two  days  after  this  letter, 
Washington,  leaving  General  Putnam  in  command,  went  to  West  Point. 

1783  Congress  read  and  discussed  Washington's  circular  letter,  addressed  to 
the  governors  of  all  the  States,  on  disbanding  the  army.  He  said  there  are  four 
things  essential  to  the  existence  of  the  United  States  as  an  independent  power: 
"  An  indissoluble  union  of  the  States  under  one  federal  head, —  a  sacred  regard 
to  public  justice, —  The  adoption  of  a  proper  peace  establishment —  The  preva- 
lence of  that  pacific  and  friendly  disposition  among  the  people  of  the  United 
States,  which  will  induce  them  to  forget  their  local  prejudices  and  politics  j  to 
make  those  mutual  concessions,  which  are  requisite  to  the  general  prosperity ; 
and  in  some  instances,  to  sacrifice  their  individual  advantages  to  the  interest  of 
the  community." 


"The  gift  of  personal  leadership  is  one  that  threatens  its  possessor  with  continual  harm. 
History  shows  us  but  one  Washington,  who  could  self  denyingly  lay  down  his  high  office  before 
continuance  in  power  was  likely  to  injure  his  country  or  himself.  Perhaps  we  shall  never 
know  how  much  we  owe,  as  the  first  republic  on  earth,  in  the  preservation  of  democratic  prin- 
ciples to  this  lofty  act  of  self  denial."  Celia  Parker  Woolley  (Ohio). 


GEOEGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  87 

JUNE  TWELFTH. 

1757  Colonel  Washington,  at  Fort  Loudoun,  was  perplexed  by  the  misman- 
agement of  Indian  affairs.  He  said:  "I  acknowledge  my  incompetency,  and 
therefore  shall  only  observe  that  the  Indians  have  been  pleased  and  displeased 
oftener  than  they  should  have  been."  Colonel  Stanwix  said  the  Indian  agents 
"were  jealous  of  each  other,  and  jealous  of  the  Provences.'7 

1784  From  Mount  Vernon,  Washington  wrote  James  Madison :  "  Can  no- 
thing be  done  in  our  Assembly  for  poor  Paine  !  Must  the  merits  and  services 
of  f  Common  Sense,'  continue  to  glide  down  the  stream  of  time,  unrewarded  by 
this  country  !  His  writings  certainly  have  had  a  powerful  effect  upon  the  public 
mind.     He  is  poor,  he  is  chagrined,  and  almost  in  despair  of  relief." 

1791  President  Washington,  accompanied  by  Major  Jackson,  returned  to 
Mount  Vernon  from  his  Southern  tour,  having  been  absent  two  months.  He 
wrote  to  Alexander  Hamilton,  Secretary  of  the  Treasury :  "  The  improbability 
of  performing  a  tour  of  seventeen  hundred  miles  with  the  same  set  of  horses, 
without  encountering  any  accident  by  which  a  deviation  would  be  rendered  un- 
avoidable appeared  so  great,  that  I  allowed  eight  days  for  casualities.  None  hav- 
ing happened,  I  shall  refresh  myself  at  this  place." 


''It  was  a  most  fortunate  thing  for  the  country  that  the  first  democratic  ruler  might  have 
sat  upon  a  throne  with  all  the  dignity  of  a  princely  scion.  He  had  all  the  virtues  of  a  King 
without  any  of  his  vices.  The  first  of  the  Presidents  will  remain  the  ideal  of  all  coming  Presi- 
dents, and  not  appear  small,  even  when  the  present  sixty  shall  have  expanded  tc  six  hundred 
millions  of  citizens  of  these  United  States."  Gustav  Gottheil,  D.  D.  (New  YorJc). 

JUNE  THIRTEENTH. 

1758  Colonel  Washington  returned  to  his  command  at  Fort  Loudoun  after 
a  second  visit  to  Mrs.  Custis  at  her  home  on  the  Pamunkey,  which  absence  ex- 
tended over  a  fortnight.  He  determined  to  leave  the  army  as  soon  as  possible, 
happy  in  the  prospect  of  a  retired  domestic  life  with  this  charming  woman. 

1777  The  Commander-in-chief  made  this  suggestion  to  Colonel  Daniel  Mor- 
gan, commanding  the  Virginia  Rangers :  "  It  occurs  to  me,  that,  if  you  were  to  dress 
a  Company  or  two  of  the  true  Woodsmen  in  the  Indian  style,  and  let  them  make 
the  attack  with  screaming  and  yelling,  as  the  Indians  do,  it  would  have  very  good 
consequences ;  especially  if  as  little  as  possible  were  said  or  known  about  the 
matter  before  hand/7 

1796  President  Washington  left  Philadelphia  for  Mount  Vernon,  having 
previously  notified  his  manager  that  during  his  stay  a  throng  of  visitors  might 
be  expected,  and  entered  into  detail  as  to  "  ample  provision  for  the  same." 
Among  the  guests  were  the  French,  British,  Spanish,  and  Portuguese  ministers, 
and  other  people  of  distinction. 


u  Ever  superior  to  fortune,  he  enjoyed  her  smiles  with  moderation,  and  endured  her  frowns 
with  serenity  ;  and  showed  himself  alike  in  victory  forbearing  and  in  defeat  undaunted.  .  .  . 
Perhaps  there  never  was  another  man  who  trod  with  more  unsullied  honor  the  highest  ways  of 
glory,  or  whose  personal  character  and  conduct  exercised  an  influence  so  powerful  and  so  bene- 
ficial on  the  destiny  of  a  nation."  James  Grahame,  LL.  D.  (Scotland). 


88  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  BAY. 

JUNE   FOURTEENTH. 

1775  Hon.  John  Adams  wrote  his  wife  he  had  notified  the  Congress  he  would 
at  a  proper  time  nominate  a  general ;  "  I  said  I  had  but  one  gentleman  in  my 
mind  for  that  important  command,  and  that  gentleman  was  from  Virginia.  .  .  . 
Mr.  Washington,  who  happened  to  sit  near  the  door,  as  soon  as  he  heard  me  allude 
to  him,  from  his  usual  modesty,  darted  into  the  Library  Room."  On  the  fifth 
Hon.  Thomas  Johnson  of  Maryland  had  suggested  Washington  as  the  "  most  ef- 
ficient man  for  the  Commander-in-chief  of  the  Colonial  Forces." 

1777  Before  Congress,  sitting  at  Philadelphia,  the  "  Committee  on  the  war" 
offered  a  resolution  :  "  That  the  flag  of  the  13  United  States  be  13  stripes,  alter- 
nate red  and  white ;  that  the  Union  be  13  stars,  white  in  a  blue  field,  represent- 
ing a  new  constellation,"  which  unanimously  passed  that  body;  and  by  this 
act  established  our  national  emblem.  The  thirteen  alternate  stripes  of  red  and 
white  in  "  The  first  flag  of  America  "  was  retained,  as  Washington  had  said,  "  out 
of  compliment  to  the  United  Colonies." 


"A  hundred  years  with  all  their  train  "  His  deeds  were  ours — but  through  the  world 

Of  shadow  have  gone  by,  That  mighty  name  will  be, 

And  yet  his  glorious  name  remains  Where  glory's  banner  is  unfurled, 

A  sound  that  cannot  die !  The  watchword  of  the  free  — 

'T  is  graven  on  the  hill,  the  vale,  And  as  they  bend  their  eagle  eyes, 

And  on  the  mountain  tall,  On  Victory's  burning  sun, 

And  speaks  in  every  sounding  gale  Their  shouts  will  echo  to  the  skies 

And  roaring  waterfall !  '  Our  God  and  Washington ! ' " 

George  D.  Prentice  (New  Hampshire). 

JUNE  FIFTEENTH. 

1775  George  Washington,  Esq.,  of  Virginia,  was  nominated  by  Hon.  Thomas 
Johnson,  of  Maryland,  "  to  command  all  the  Continental  Forces  raised  or  to  be 
raised  for  the  defense  of  American  Liberty."  The  nomination  was  seconded  by 
Samuel  Adams  of  Massachusetts.  The  election  was  made  by  ballot,  and  Wash- 
ington was  unanimously  chosen.  The  House  also  resolved,  "  That  five  hundred 
dollars  per  month  be  allowed  for  the  pay  and  expenses  of  the  General." 

1781  General  Washington,  from  New  Windsor,  congratulated  the  army  on 
the  glorious  news  received  from  General  Greene  of  the  successive  victories  in 
South  Carolina:  the  forced  evacuation  of  Camden  by  Lord  Rawdon,  the  sur- 
render of  Orangeburg  to  General  Sumter,  of  Fort  Mott  to  General  Marion,  and 
Fort  Granby  to  Lieutenant-Colonel  Lee. 

1790  Referring  to  the  criticism  that  there  was  more  pomp  at  his  receptions 
than  at  the  court  of  St.  James,  President  Washington  said :  "  Between  the  hours 
of  three  and  four  every  tuesday,  gentlemen,  often  in  great  numbers,  come  and 
go.  A  porter  shows  them  into  the  room,  and  they  retire  from  it  when  they 
please,  without  ceremony.  At  their  first  entrance,  they  salute  me,  and  I  them, 
and  as  many  as  I  can  talk  to,  I  do.  What  pomp  there  is  in  all  this,  I  am  unable 
to  discover.     Perhaps  it  consists  in  not  sitting." 


"To  George  Washington  nearly  alone  in  modern  times,  had  it  been  given  to  accomplish  a 
wonderful  revolution,  and  yet  to  remain  to  all  future  time  the  theme  of  a  people's  gratitude  and 
an  example  of  virtuous  and  beneficent  power."  Lord  John  Russell  (England). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  89 

JUNE   SIXTEENTH. 

1775  President  Hancock  personally  informed  Colonel  Washington  that  he 
had  been  unanimously  chosen  to  command  the  Continental  army.  In  a  speech 
from  the  floor  of  the  House,  Washington  formally  accepted  the  command  of  the 
army,  asking  each  member  to  remember  that  he  did  not  consider  himself  equal 
to  the  great  responsibility  with  which  he  had  been  honored.  He  also  said:  "As 
to  pay,  Sir,  I  beg  leave  to  assure  the  Congress  that  as  no  pecuniary  considera- 
tion could  have  tempted  me  to  accept  this  arduous  employment,  at  the  expense 
of  my  domestic  ease  and  happiness,  I  do  not  wish  to  make  any  profit  from  it. 
I  will  keep  an  exact  account  of  my  expenses.  Those  I  doubt  not  they  will  dis- 
charge, and  that  is  all  I  desire." 

1786  General  Washington  records  in  his  diary :  "  Began  about  10  o'clock  to 
put  up  the  book-press  in  my  study."  This  was  his  library,  in  the  south  exten- 
sion, and  was  included  in  the  improvements  at  Mount  Vernon,  between  1784  and 
1787.  Although  Washington  never  had  time  to  be  a  student,  a  catalogue  of  his 
books  embraces  a  wide  range  of  subjects  and  indicates  taste  in  selection.  In  1848 
Jared  Sparks  and  Andrews  Norton  collected  through  subscription  $5,000,  and 
purchased  more  than  half  of  Washington's  library  for  the  Boston  Athenaeum. 


"  Angels  might  see,  with  joy,  the  sage,  "  On  works  of  peace  employ  that  hand, 

Who  taught  the  "battle  where  to  rage,  Which  wav'd  the  blade  of  high  command 

Or  quench'd  its  spreading  name,  And  hew'd  the  path  to  fame." 

Col.  David  Humphreys  (1786). 

JUNE   SEVENTEENTH. 

1758  Colonel  Washington,  earnestly  hoping  for  an  improvement  in  the  ad- 
ministration of  military  affairs,  from  Fort  Loudoun  congratulated  Francis  Fau- 
quier, Esq.,  upon  his  appointment  to  succeed  Governor  Dinwiddie. 

1775  The  second  Colonial  Congress  at  Philadelphia  having  unanimously 
chosen  George  Washington  to  be  General  and  Commander-in-Chief,  the  delegates, 
from  Nova  Scotia  to  Georgia,  resolved  "  that  they  will  maintain  and  assist  him 
and  adhere  to  him,  the  said  George  Washington,  with  their  Lives  and  Fortunes  in 
the  same  cause.'7  John  Adams  wrote  his  wife :  "  I  can  now  inform  you  that  the 
Congress  have  made  choice  of  the  modest  and  virtuous,  the  amiable,  generous  and 
brave  George  Washington,  Esq.,  to  be  General  of  the  American  Army.  This 
appointment  will  have  a  great  effect  in  securing  the  union  of  these  Colonies." 

1787  "  Went  to  church,  heard  Bishop  White  preach,  and  see  him  ordain  two 
gentlemen  Deacons,  after  which  rid  8  miles  in  the  country  and  dined  with  Mr. 
John  Ross,  Chester  County."     Washington's  Journal. 


"  There  was  not  a  man  on  the  Eastern  Continent  whom  Napoleon  did  not  desire  to  rule,  nor 
one  on  the  Western  whom  Washington  did  not  wish  to  endow  with  the  right  of  self-government. 
Who  to-day  would  exchange  the  chaplet  of  thorns  which  he  wore  at  Valley  Forge  for  all  the 
diadems  which  Napoleon  gathered  at  Paris?  Or  who  would  prefer  the  fallen  vanity  which 
fretted  in  peevishness  on  the  death-bed  on  the  gloomy  sea-girt  island  to  the  sweet  tranquility 
which  fell  asleep  at  Mount  Vernon?  While  France  is  still  looking  imploringly  for  a  deliverer 
of  the  highest  and  best  order,  America  is  entwining  her  first  century  around  the  brow  of  her 
'  Father.'  The  world  watches  the  new  coronation  with  wonder  and  involuntarily  exclaims, 
'We  have  seen  but  one  Washington.'"  Thomas  Armitage,  D.  D.  (New  York). 


90  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


JUNE  EIGHTEENTH. 


1775  General  Washington  at  Philadelphia  began  his  preparations  for  join- 
ing the  troops  at  Cambridge.  He  wrote  to  his  wife  :  "  You  may  believe  me,  my 
dear  Patsy,  when  I  assure  you,  in  the  most  solemn  manner,  that,  so  far  from 
seeking  this  appointment,  I  have  used  every  endeavour  in  my  power  to  avoid  it, 
not  only  from  my  unwillingness  to  part  with  you  and  the  Family,  but  a  con- 
sciousness of  its  being  a  trust  too  great  for  my  capability,  and  that  I  would 
enjoy  more  real  happiness  and  felicity  in  one  month  with  you  at  home  than  I 
have  the  most  distant  prospect  of  finding  abroad,  if  my  stay  were  to  be  seven 
times  seven  years." 

1778  General  Washington,  learning  early  in  the  morning  that  Sir  Henry 
Clinton  had  evacuated  Philadelphia,  began  breaking  up  camp  at  Valley  Forge, 
prepared  to  follow  the  British  with  all  possible  despatch.  He  announced :  "  We 
shall  proceed  towards  Jersey,  and  govern  ourselves  according  to  circumstances." 

1783  The  Commander-in-chief  officially  thanked  Major-General  Baron  Steu- 
ben for  his  efficient  work  as  inspector-general.  To  this  accomplished  and  effi- 
cient officer  must  be  attributed  much  of  the  advancement  in  military  art  of  the 
patriotic  army. 


"His  countenance  possesses  an  open  benignant  look  which  is  a  very  attractive  character- 
istic ;  at  the  same  time  the  dignity  of  his  manners  commands  the  highest  respect.  But  words 
are  wanted  to  convey  to  you  the  idea  of  a  person,  whose  person  and  character  are  the  object  of 
such  veneration  and  esteem."  Archibald  Robertson  (Scotland). 

JUNE  NINETEENTH. 

1773  Martha  Parke  Custis,  only  daughter  of  Mrs.  Washington,  died  at 
Mount  Vernon,  of  consumption,  at  the  age  of  seventeen.  Washington  was 
greatly  attached  to  his  stepdaughter,  and  for  several  years  anxiously  assisted  his 
wife  in  the  hopeless  endeavor  to  restore  her  to  health.  The  decided  type  of  this 
frail  young  girl  had  given  her  the  name  of  the  "  dark  lady." 

1783  The  Congressional  Committee  —  Alexander  Hamilton,  James  Madison  f 
and  Theodoric  Bland — reported  favorably  upon  Washington's  circular  letter,  and 
issued  it  to  the  governors  and  presidents  of  the  thirteen  colonies.  The  Society 
of  the  Cincinnati  held  a  meeting  and  chose  General  Washington,  president-gen- 
eral, General  McDougal  treasurer,  and  General  Knox  secretary.  Washington 
held  the  office  during  life. 

1786  The  mouth  of  the  Mississippi  being  in  possession  of  foreign  powers 
caused  some  uneasiness  in  the  country,  but  Washington  said :  "  Whenever  the 
new  states  become  so  populous  and  so  extended  to  the  westward,  as  really  to 
need  it,  .there  will  be  no  power  which  can  deprive  them  of  the  use  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. Why,  then,  should  we  prematurely  urge  a  matter,  which  may  produce 
disagreeable  consequences,  if  it  is  our  interest  to  let  it  sleep  f  n 


"  As  a  didactic  writer  he  can  scarcely  be  esteemed  too  much;  his  sentiments  have  a  force 
and  a  fascination  to  restore  reason,  invigorate  patriotism,  and  awaken  piety ;  his  public  letters- 
and  documents  should  be  engraven  on  the  tablets  of  the  nation." 

John  Mason  Williams,  LL.  D.  (Massachusetts). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  91 


JUNE  TWENTIETH. 


1757  Colonel  Washington,  in  commenting  npon  roads  on  the  frontier,  said : 
u  We  all  know  that  a  blazed  path  in  the  eyes  of  an  Indian  is  a  large  road,  for  he 
does  not  distinguish,  between  a  track  which  will  admit  of  carriages,  and  a  road 
sufficient  for  them  to  march  in." 

1775  On  this  day  the  newly  appointed  Commander-in-chief,  having  received 
his  commission,  dated  June  19th,  sent  a  circular  letter  to  the  Independent  Com- 
panies in  Fairfax  County,  Virginia,  which  he  had  helped  to  raise  and  drill.  His 
first  military  act  was  to  review,  on  the  Commons,  several  militia  companies  of 
Philadelphia :  "  Horse  and  Foot  in  all  about  2,000."  Before  leaving  Cambridge 
he  purchased  and  shipped  for  forty  pounds  (of  Gibbs  &  Co.)  a  fire-engine  for 
"Friendships  Company,"  Alexandria,  Va.,  of  which  organization  he  was  a 
member. 

1786  General  Washington,  adhering  to  a  resolution  he  had  adopted,  declined 
to  accept  the  dedication  of  "a  complete  system  of  Arithmetic,  by  Nicholas 
Pike,"  saying,  "  It  gives  me  the  highest  satisfaction  to  find  the  arts  and  sciences 
advancing  in  any  country ;  but  when  I  find  them  advancing  in  America  it  gives 
me  peculiar  pleasure." 


"  There  is  something  charming  to  me  in  the  conduct  of  Washington.  A  gentleman  of  one  of 
the  finest  fortunes  upon  the  Continent,  leaving  his  delicious  retirement,  his  family  and  friends, 
sacrificing  his  ease,  and  hazarding  all  in  the  cause  of  his  country.  His  views  are  noble  and  dis- 
interested. He  declared  when  he  accepted  the  mighty  trust,  that  he  would  lay  before  us  an 
exact  account  of  his  expenses,  and  would  not  accept  a  shilling  for  pay." 

John  A  dams' (Massachusetts). 

JUNE  TWENTY-FIRST. 

1775  The  four  major-generals  Congress  appointed  to  serve  under  Washing- 
ton were  Artemus  Ward,  Charles  Lee,  Philip  Schuyler,  and  Israel  Putnam. 
Eight  brigadier-generals  were  also  chosen,  with  orders  to  report  to  the  Com- 
mander-in-chief at  Cambridge.  These  were  Seth  Pomeroy,  Richard  Montgomery, 
David  Wooster,  William  Heath,  Joseph  Spencer,  John  Thomas,  John  Sullivan, 
and  Nathaniel  Greene. 

1778  The  army  were  all  day  crossing  into  the  Jerseys  at  Coryells  Ferry 
(forty  miles  from  Valley  Forge,  and  thirty-three  miles  above  Philadelphia). 
General  Lee  was  in  the  advance  with  six  brigades.  The  bad  condition  of  the 
roads  from  heavy  rains  made  marching  very  laborious  for  the  troops.  Wash- 
ington wrote :  "  As  soon  as  we  have  cleaned  the  arms,  and  can  get  matters  in  train 
we  propose  moving  towards  Princeton,  in  order  to  avail  ourselves  of  any  favor- 
able occasions,  that  may  present  themselves  of  attacking  the  enemy." 

1788    New  Hampshire  adopted  the  Federal  Constitution. 


He  lives,  ever  lives,  in  the  hearts  of  the  "His  work  is  done; 

free,  But  while  the  race  of  mankind  endure, 

The  wing  of  his  fame  spreads  across  the  Let  his  great  example  stand 

broad  sea ;  Colossal  seen  of  every  land, 

He  lives  where  the  banner  of  freedom  's  And  keep  the  soldier  firm,  the  statesman  pure, 

unfurled ;  Till  in  all  lands,  and  thro'  all  human  story, 

The  pride  of  his  country,  the  wealth  of  The  path  of  duty  be  the  way  of  glory." 

the  world."  Tennyson  (England). 


92  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


JUNE  TWENTY-SECOND. 


1784  The  committee  appointed  by  the  Legislature  of  Virginia  to  deter- 
mine a  what  further  measures  may  be  necessary  for  perpetuating  the  gratitude 
and  veneration  of  his  country  to  General  George  Washington  "  suggested  that  a 
statue  of  Washington,  of  "  the  finest  marble  and  best  workmanship,"  be  erected. 
This  was  unanimously  approved,  and  a  committee  chosen  to  wait  upon  General 
Washington  at  Mount  Vernon  and  consult  his  wishes  in  regard  to  said  statue. 
Washington  received  the  committee  cordially,  several  of  whom  were  cherished 
friends.  In  regard  to  the  proposed  statue  he  expressed  a  desire  that  in  it  the 
military  should  be  subordinate  to  the  civil — the  general  be  lost  in  the  citizen. 

1798  The  country  was  greatly  excited  over  the  threatened  European  com- 
plications, and  all  eyes  naturally  turned  to  Washington.  President  Adams 
wrote  urging  him  to  accept  the  command  of  "  The  Provisional  Army,"  saying, 
"  In  event  of  a  war  with  France,  your  name,  if  you  will  in  any  case  permit  us  to 
use  it,  will  have  more  efficacy  in  it  than  money  or  army." 


"America  seemed  safe  under  his  protection.  His  face  was  grander  than  any  sculptor  had 
ever  wrought  in  marble.  .  .  .  None  could  behold  him  without  awe  and  reverence.  .  .  .  One  of 
Washington's  most  invaluable  characteristics  was  the  faculty  of  bringing  order  out  of  confusion. 
The  influence  of  his  mind  was  like  light  gleaming  through  an  unshaped  world.  It  was  this 
faculty,  more  than  any  other,  that  made  him  so  fit  to  ride  upon  the  storm  of  revolution  where 
everything  was  unfixed  and  drifting  in  a  troubled  sea."    Nathaniel  Hawthorne  {Massachusetts). 

JUNE  TWENTY-THIRD. 

1775  The  Commander-in-chief,  having  been  entertained  the  previous  evening 
at  a  farewell  supper  given  at  the  City  Tavern,  left  Philadelphia  for  Cambridge, 
accompanied  by  General  Schuyler,  Major  Mifflin,  and  his  secretary  Joseph  Reed. 
He  was  escorted  by  "  The  Light  Horse  City  Troop/7  a  fine  military  organization 
of  one  hundred  men  under  the  command  of  Captain  Markoe. 

1779  General  Washington  established  headquarters  at  New  Windsor,  in  the 
handsome  house  of  William  Ellison,  where  he  was  better  situated  to  attend  to 
different  parts  of  the  army  on  both  sides  of  the  Hudson.  Some  idea  can  be  given 
of  his  laborious  life  during  the  war  by  the  fact  that  he  established  headquarters 
at  nearly  two  hundred  and  fifty  houses,  which  in  eight  years  averages  about 
twelve  days  to  a  house. 

1797  To  Colonel  Humphreys  President  Washington  wrote:  "The  public 
buildings  in  the  Federal  City  go  on  well :  one  wing  of  the  Capitol  (with  which 
Congress  might  make  a  very  good  shift),  and  the  President's  House  will  be 
covered  in  this  Autumn.  An  elegant  bridge  is  thrown  over  the  Potomack,  at 
the  little  falls,  and  the  navigation  of  the  river  above  will  be  completed  nearly, 
this  season." 


"At  the  close  of  a  century  after  his  inauguration  Washington's  hold  upon  the  hearts  of  his 
countrymen  is  stronger  than  ever  before.  In  purity  of  motive,  steadfastness  of  aim,  incor- 
ruptible integrity,  and  lofty  patriotism,  he  is  still  the  model  to  which  we  point  our  youth,  the 
pattern  of  every  statesman,  the  pride  of  us  all."  Margaret  Elizabeth  Sangster  (New  York). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY,  93 

JUNE  TWENTY-FOURTH. 

1775  The  Commander-in-chief  on  his  journey  to  Cambridge  read  a  letter 
giving  a  detailed  account  of  the  Battle  of  Bunker  Hill :  and  when  he  learned 
how  bravely  the  raw  troops  had  received  the  fire  of  the  British  regulars,  he  ex- 
claimed :  "  The  liberties  of  our  country  are  safe." 

1779  General  Washington  and  family  dined  with  the  "American  Union 
Lodge  of  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,"  who  celebrated  the  festival  of  St.  John 
the  Baptist,  opposite  West  Point,  near  the  Robinson  House,  which,  until  the 
war,  was  the  home  of  his  former  friend  Beverly  Robinson,  Esq.  The  feast  was 
served  in  a  bower,  and  a  large  number  of  distinguished  people  were  present. 
Washington,  upon  retiring,  was  escorted  to  his  barge  by  masonic  officers,  and  a 
band  playing  "  God  Save  America."  Upon  this  commemorative  day  five  years 
later  he  was  the  honored  guest  of  his  own  Lodge  No.  22,  Alexandria,  Virginia. 

1782  General  Washington  from  Newburg  wrote  to  the  Count  de  Rocham- 
beau :  "lam  at  this  moment  on  the  point  of  setting  out  for  Albany,  on  a  visit 
to  my  posts  in  the  vicinity  of  that  place.  My  stay  will  not  exceed  eight  or  ten 
days,"  and  will  be  shortened  if  any  despatches  should  be  received  from  you  in 
the  meantime." 


"  So  far  as  I  am  acquainted  with  the  principles  and  doctrines  of  Freemasonry  I  conceive 
them  to  be  founded  on  benevolence,  and  to  be  exercised  only  for  the  good  of  mankind." 

George  Washington  (1798). 

JUNE  TWENTY-FIFTH. 

1775  The  Commander-in-chief  was  met  at  Jersey  City  by  a  committee  of  the 
Provincial  Congress  of  New  York,  and  a  larger  body  of  citizens  than  had  ever 
before  congregated.  His  military  escort  was  composed  of  nine  companies  of 
militia.  The  honors  and  reception  prepared  by  the  Tories  for  Governor  Tryon 
were  given  to  Washington.  Here  he  issued  his  first  order,  which  was  to  Gen- 
eral Schuyler  to  take  command  of  the  Department  of  New  York. 

1781  General  Washington's  journal  notes:  "Joined  the  army  at  its  encamp- 
ment at  Peekskill.  Mrs.  Washington  set  out  at  the  same  time  for  Virginia." 
The  next  morning  is  found  this  order :  "  The  Commander-in-chief  has  the  plea- 
sure of  announcing  to  the  Army  the  approach  of  the  troops  of  his  most  Chris- 
tian Majesty  under  the  command  of  his  Excellency  Lieutenant  General  Count 
de  Rochambeau." 

1788    Virginia  adopted  the  Federal  Constitution. 

1799  Washington  wrote  from  Mount  Vernon  to  Colonel  John  Trumbull, 
then  in  London :  "  I  question  whether  the  toils  arising  from  the  French  getting 
possession  of  Louisiana  and  the  Floridas  would  be  generally  seen,  until  it  is 
felt,  and  yet  no  problem  in  Euclid  is  more  evident,  or  susceptable  of  clearer 
demonstration.  No  less  difficult  is  it  to  make  them  believe,  that  offensive  opera- 
tions, oftentimes,  are  the  surest,  if  not  the  only  means  of  defence." 


11  Devoted  to  peace  as  he  was,  he  thought  with  Pliny  that  war  might  be  necessary,  and  was 
neither  to  be  feared  or  provoked."  James  C.  Pickett  (Kentucky). 


94  GEOEGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


JUNE  TWENTY-SIXTH. 


1775  The  Commander-in-chief,  with  his  escort  and  a  number  of  gentlemen 
friends,  left  New  York  for  Cambridge.  He  remained  all  night  at  New  Rochelle, 
where  he  was  joined  in  the  morning  by  Major-General  Charles  Lee.  "The 
Philadelphia  Horse"  left  for  home.  In  reply  to  an  address  from  the  Provincial 
Congress  of  New  York,  Washington  significantly  said :  "  When  we  assumed  the 
soldier  we  did  not  lay  aside  the  citizen."  "  The  Congress  of  Massachusetts  Bay 
passed  a  resolution,  providing  for  a  respectful  reception  of  Generals  Washington 
and  Lee.  The  business  was  conducted  with  great  simplicity  and  economy,  the 
entire  expense  amounting  to  twenty-eight  pounds,  five  shillings  and  ten  pence." 

1777  Of  General  Lord  Howe's  advance  with  his  entire  army  toward  Middle- 
brook,  Washington  wrote :  "  What  was  the  design  of  this  new  manoeuvre  I 
know  not,  whether  to  attempt  our  strength  —  whether  to  cut  off  the  light  Troops 
which  I  had  advanced  towards  their  lines,  or  whether  finding  themselves  a  little 
disgraced  by  their  former  move,  they  wanted  to  flourish  off  a  little  at  quitting 
the  Jerseys.  We  followed  them  with  light  troops  back  to  their  works  at  Amboy 
but  could  not  prevent  the  Desolation  they  committed." 


^  J.  eel  myself  at  times  under  a  strong  impulse  to  prophesy  that  Washington  was  born  for 
the  deliverance  of  America;  that  Providence  who  has  raised  and  trained  him  up  for  that  very 
purpose,  will  shield  his  head  in  every  day  of  battle,  will  give  him  to  see  America  free,  flourish- 
ing and  happy."  Sugh  Kn0X}  D%  Dt  (1777)# 

JUNE  TWENTY-SEVENTH. 

1778  Washington  was  annoyed  by  the  vacillating  conduct  of  General  Charles 
Lee,  who  had  refused  the  advance  on  the  25th,  and  wished  to  be  reinstated  the 
day  following.  The  command  had  been  given  to  Lafayette,  who  received  a  letter 
from  the  Commander-in-chief  stating  his  embarrassment,  and  he  with  distin- 
guished courtesy  retired  in  favor  of  Lee.  The  officers  realizing  they  were  on 
the  eve  of  an  engagement,  begged  their  beloved  General  not  to  expose  himself  as 
he  had  done  on  previous  occasions. 

1779  From  New  Windsor,  Washington  wrote  to  the  president  of  Congress : 
"  The  Regiments  for  want  of  sufficient  number  of  officers,  and  for  want  of  zeal 
in  the  few  that  remain  are  dwindling  to  nothing.  Several  of  these  Gentlemen 
of  sentiment  and  much  attached  to  the  service,  lately  waited  upon  me  to  repre- 
sent their  case.  They  stated  their  sufferings  in  terms  the  most  affecting  and 
supported  by  facts  that  could  not  be  questioned." 

1782  General  Washington  received  distinguished  attention  from  the  civil 
authorities  and  the  citizens  of  Albany,  N.  Y.  All  the  church-bells  in  the  city 
began  to  ring  at  six  o'clock,  and  at  sunset  thirteen  guns  were  fired.  He  was 
presented  with  the  freedom  of  the  city  in  a  box  of  gold. 


u  The  times  in  which  our  country  struggled  to  appear  before  the  world  as  a  nation  may  not 
have  made  George  Washington.    But  when  they  called  for  their  great  man  he  was  there." 

Francis  Bichard  Stockton  (Pennsylvania). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  95 

JUNE  TWENTY-EIGHTH. 

1776  General  Washington  issued  the  following  warning,  upon  the  execution 
of  a  member  of  his  body-guard:  u  The  unhappy  fate  of  Thomas  Hickey  exe- 
cuted this  day  for  Mutiny,  Sedition,  and  Treachery  j  the  General  hopes  will  be  a 
warning  to  every  soldier  in  the  army  to  avoid  those  crimes  and  all  others,  so  dis- 
graceful to  the  character  of  a  soldier,  and  pernicious  to  his  country,  whose  pay 
he  receives  and  Bread  he  eats." 

1778  The  Battle  of  Monmouth  Court-House  was  fought.  The  action  began 
early  in  the  morning ;  after  General  Charles  Lee  had  ordered  a  retreat,  Wash- 
ington rallied  the  troops  and  gained  a  decided  victory  over  Sir  Henry  Clinton. 
It  was  here  that  the  Commander-in-chief,  seeing  the  treachery,  or  cowardice,  of 
Lee,  denounced  him  in  the  most  terrible  manner.  "  Swore  like  an  Angel  from 
Heaven,"  said  Colonel  Henry  Lee.  To  his  brother,  Washington  wrote :  "  From 
an  unfortunate  and  bad  beginning  turned  out  a  glorious  and  happy  day." 

1781  That  noble  patriot,  Robert  Morris,  sent  the  army,  then  encamped  on 
the  Hudson,  2,000  barrels  of  flour.  Washington  writes,  thanking  him  for  his 
generous  and  timely  assistance,  stating  in  conclusion :  "  Without  that  aid  we 
should  have  been  already  distressed ;  and  I  must  confess  to  you,  that  I  see  no 
prospect  of  being  supplied  but  through  your  means." 


"  His  character  is  a  constellation  of  all  the  greatest  attributes  that  adorn  human  nature." 

Samuel  Stanhope  Smith,  LL.  D.,  President  of  Princeton. 

JUNE  TWENTY-NINTH. 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief  notified  Congress :  "  I  have  just  received  an 
express  from  an  officer  appointed  to  keep  a  look-out  on  Staten  Island,  that  forty- 
five  ships  arrived  at  the  Hook ;  some  say  more."  On  landing,  the  British  appro- 
priated the  live  stock,  but  as  the  inhabitants  were  mostly  Tories,  their  loss  was 
not  a  grievance. 

1778  General  Washington  having  remained  on  the  battle-field  of  Monmouth 
all  night  with  Lafayette,  under  blankets,  discovered  that  the  British  had  made  a 
noiseless  retreat.  He  notified  Congress  of  a  hard- won  victory,  and  marched  his 
troops  to  Brunswick,  to  allow  his  army  time  to  recuperate.  At  this  battle  "  Cap- 
tain Mollie  Pitcher  "  took  the  place  of  her  wounded  husband,  Sergeant  Hays,  and 
worked  his  gun  with  fine  effect.  Washington  complimented  her.  The  Federal 
Government  and  the  Legislature  of  Pennsylvania  each  gave  her  an  annuity,  and 
in  1833  she  was  buried  at  Lancaster,  Pa.,  with  the  honors  of  war. 

1782  The  Commander-in-chief,  escorted  by  General  Gansevoort  and  forty 
volunteer  officers,  visited  the  battle-field  of  Saratoga.  In  the  afternoon  he  re- 
viewed the  first  New  Hampshire  Regiment,  and  examined  the  Block-Houses. 


"Though  as  intrepid  as  Hannibal  and  fortunate  as  Caesar ;  yet  mildness  and  humanity  were 
prominent  traits  in  his  character :  he  never  pierced  a  fallen  foe.  Washington  fought  not  to  con- 
quer, but  to  defend ;  not  to  ruin  the  foe,  but  to  protect  his  people ;  not  to  enslave  a  country, 
but  to  free,  to  bless,  to  build  up  a  nation ;  to  establish  it  on  the  broad  basis  of  equal  rights,  under 
the  enjoyment  of  liberty  and  under  the  protection  of  love." 

Captain  Josiah  Dunham,  10th  U.  S.  Regulars  (1800). 


96  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


JUNE  THIRTIETH. 


1775  The  Commander-in-chief,  on  his  journey  to  Cambridge,  left  the  Webb 
House,  Wethersfield,  Conn.,  early  in  the  morning,  and  reaching  Springfield,  was 
met  by  a  committee  from  the  Provisional  Congress  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  con- 
sisting of  Dr.  Benjamin  Church  and  Moses  Gill,  by  whom  he  was  escorted 
through  Brookfield,  Worcester,  and  Marlborough  to  Watertown. 

1776  Mrs.  Washington  left  New  York  this  day  for  Mount  Vernon.  The 
General  wrote  to  the  president  of  Congress :  "  When  I  had  the  honor  of  address- 
ing you  yesterday,  I  had  only  been  informed  of  the  arrival  of  Forty-five  of  the 
fleet  in  the  Morning,  since  that  I  have  received  authentic  Intelligence  from  Sun- 
dry persons,  among  them  from  Genl  Greene,  that  One  hundred  and  Ten  Sail 
came  in  before  night  that  were  counted,  and  that  more  were  seen  about  dusk  in 
the  ofiing." 

1778  General  Washington  placed  General  Charles  Lee  under  arrest,  having 
received  from  him  an  impertinent  letter.  Afterward,  by  the  decision  of  a  coun- 
cil of  war,  he  was  suspended,  "for  ordering  a  retreat  at  Monmouth  and  for  disre- 
spectful language  to  the  Commander-in-chief." 

1782  Within  five  miles  of  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  General  Washington  was  met 
by  a  delegation  of  citizens,  who  gave  expression  to  the  pleasure  they  felt  in  his 
visit.  One  hundred  Oneida  and  Tuscarora  Indians  joined  in  the  procession  with- 
out the  gates,  armed  and  gaily  hideous  in  war-paint. 

1785  The  following  entry  in  Washington's  diary  at  Mount  Vernon  justifies  his 
speaking  of  that  place  as  "  a  well  resorted  tavern  " :  u  Dined  with  only  Mrs. 
Washington,  which  I  believe  is  the  first  instance  of  it  since  my  retirement  from 
public  life." 


"A  man  of  unsullied  purity  of  character ;  a  ruler  of  broad  statesmanship  and  lofty  patriot- 
ism ;  a  soldier  of  the  highest  courage,  prudence,  and  mastery  of  the  art  of  war;  a  character  al- 
ways impartial,  moderate,  temperate,  and  just :  in  short,  a  being  adorned  with  all  the  virtues, 
and  without  any  of  the  foibles  of  humanity ;  such  is  the  ideal  Washington.  If  we  go  to  Wash- 
ington's contemporaries  for  evidence  as  to  what  manner  of  man  he  was,  the  pleasing  picture  of  a 
faultless  character  will  be  largely  modified.  The  great  man  will  appear  to  us  not  less  great  for 
sharing  in  the  passions  and  the  errors  which  beset  strong  natures,  but  the  saintly  halo  with 
which  the  devotees  of  perfection  have  crowned  him  will  disappear,  and  leave  us,  not  a  saint,  but 
a  man."  Ainsworth  B.  Spofford  (New  Hampshire). 


JULY  FIRST. 

1755  Colonel  Washington,  having  been  detained  three  weeks  by  a  violent 
fever  at  camp  Youghiogany,  was  pronounced  convalescent,  and,  impatient  at  delay, 
started  with  a  provision  train  to  join  General  Braddock.  In  a  letter  to  his 
brother  he  said:  "The  General  gave  his  word  of  honor,  pledged  in  the  most 
solemn  manner,  that  I  should  be  brought  up  before  they  reached  Fort  Duquesne." 

1763  Colonel  Washington,  at  Mount  Vernon,  writes  in  his  diary:  "Went 
over  to  Stafford  Court-House  to  attend  a  meeting  of  the  '  Mississippi  Adventure/ 
and  lodged  there."  This  was  an  association  of  British  and  Colonial  gentlemen  in- 
terested in  exploring  and  settling  the  territory  beyond  the  Alleghany  Mountains. 

1781  Washington  instructed  General  Lincoln  "to  make  an  attempt  to  sur- 
prise the  enemy's  posts  on  the  North  end  of  York  Island."  To  Governor  Clinton 
he  wrote,  "  In  fullest  confidence,"  that  in  event  of  success,  beacons  would  be  fired 
as  signals  for  the  Governor  to  place  himself  at  the  head  of  the  militia,  and  with 
four  days'  rations  march  to  Kingsbridge. 

1783  This  is  the  last  entry  in  George  Washington's  account  with  the  United 
States  of  the  expenditures  for  eight  years — June,  1775,- June,  1788 :  "  July  1 — To 
Mrs.  Washington's  traveling  exp's  in  coming  to  &  returning  from  my  Winter 
Quarters  per  acc't  rendered — the  money  to  defray  which  being  taken  from  my 
private  Purse,  &  brought  with  her  from  Virg.*,  £1064-1-0." 


"I  see  in  Washington  a  great  soldier  who  fought  a  trying  war  to  a  successful  end  impossible 
without  him ;  I  find  in  him  a  marvellous  judgment  which  was  never  at  fault,  a  penetrating  vision 
which  beheld  the  future  of  America  when  it  was  dim  to  other  eyes,  a  great  intellectual  force,  a 
will  of  iron,  an  unyielding  grasp  of  facts,  and  an  unequalled  strength  of  patriotic  purpose.  I  see 
in  him  too  a  high-minded  gentleman  of  dauntless  courage  and  stainless  honor,  simple  and  stately 
of  manner,  kind  and  generous  of  heart ;  such  he  was  in  truth.  The  historian  and  the  biographer 
may  fail  to  do  him  justice,  but  the  instinct  of  mankind  will  not  fail.  The  real  hero  needs  not 
books  to  give  him  worshippers.  George  Washington  will  always  receive  the  love  and  reverence 
of  men  because  they  see  embodied  in  him  the  noblest  possibilities  of  humanity.  .  .  .  Party 
newspapers  might  revile,  but  the  instinct  of  the  people  was  never  at  fault. —  They  loved,  trusted, 
and  well  nigh  worshipped  Washington  living,  and  they  loved,  honored,  and  reverenced  him  with 
an  unchanging  fidelity  since  his  death,  nearly  a  hundred  years.  .  .  .  There  must  have  been 
something  very  impressive  about  a  man  who,  with  no  pretence  to  the  art  of  an  orator  and  no 
touch  of  the  charlatan,  could  so  move  and  affect  vast  bodies  of  men." 

Henry  Cabot  Lodge  (Massachusetts). 

7  97 


98  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

JULY  SECOND. 

1775  At  Watertown,  the  Commander-in-chief  was  received  by  the  Provincial 
Congress  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  in  session  at  that  place.  His  escort  was  a  troop 
of  horse  and  a  number  of  distinguished  gentlemen.  This  Congress  had  resolved 
that  the  "  President's  House "  (the  mansion  for  the  president  of  Harvard),  with 
the  exception  of  one  room  for  that  dignitary,  "  be  taken,  cleared,  prepared,  and 
furnished  "  for  Washington. 

1778  After  the  engagement  at  Monmouth,  Washington  started  for  the  Hud- 
son. He  said :  "  The  march  from  Englishtown  was  inconceivably  distressing  to 
the  troops  and  horses.  The  distance  is  about  twenty  miles,  through  a  deep  sand, 
without  a  drop  of  water  except  at  South  river,  which  is  half  way." 

1787  u Attended  convention.  Dined  with  some  of  the  members  of  the  con- 
vention at  the  '  Indian  Queen.'  Drank  Tea  at  Mr.  Bingham's,  and  walked  after- 
wards in  the  State  house  yard.  Set  this  morning  for  Mr.  Pine  who  wanted  to 
correct  his  portrait  of  me."  Washington's  Diary  (Philadelphia).  Two  months 
after  this  appears  in  his  journal,  "  In  convention  all  day.  Dined  at  the  Presi- 
dents (Dr.  Franklin)  and  took  tea  at  Mr.  Pines." 


"  In  the  curious  discussions  that  are  sometimes  indulged  in  as  to  who  in  history  will  live 
through  all  time,  it  has  been  put  down  of  precious  few,  but  in  these  speculations  I  do  not  think  I 
have  ever  heard  or  seen  the  name  of  Washington  omitted.  On  the  contrary,  it  seems  to  be 
conceded  he  will  not  only  live  as  long  as  history  itself  does,  but  his  name  and  fame  will  grow 
brighter  as  the  years  pass  by."  Augustus  H.  Garland  (Arkansas). 

JULY  THIRD. 

1775  George  Washington,  of  Virginia,  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  drew 
his  sword,  and  by  the  authority  vested  in  him  by  the  Continental  Congress, 
took  command  of  the  American  army,  at  Cambridge,  Mass.  This  momentous 
event  took  place  on  the  town  common  under  a  large  tree,  still  standing  and 
known  as  the  "Washington  Elm." 

1778  "  To  morrow  (July  4th.)  the  anniversary  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, will  be  celebrated  by  the  firing  of  a  feu-de-joie  of  the  whole  line. 
The  army  will  be  formed  on  the  Brunswick  side  of  the  Raritan,  at  five  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  on  the  ground  pointed  out  by  the  Quartermaster-General." 
Orderly  Booh. 

1798  The  Senate  of  the  United  States  unanimously  confirmed  the  appoint- 
ment made  by  President  Adams  of  George  Washington  as  Lieutenant-General 
and  Commander-in-chief  of  the  Provisional  army.  This  occurred  on  the  twenty- 
third  anniversary  of  Washington's  taking  command  of  the  Continental  army 
for  the  establishment  of  American  Independence. 


Nature  complimented  herself  when  she  created  Washington."    Lafayette. 

"Virginia  gave  us  this  imperial  man, 
Cast  in  the  massive  mould 
Of  those  high-statured  ages  old 
Which  into  grander  forms  our  mortal  metal  ran ; 
She  gave  us  this  unblemished  gentleman  — 
What  shall  we  give  her  back  but  love  and  praise  V    Lowell. 

"Washington  is  to  my  mind  the  purest  figure  in  history."    Gladstone. 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  99 

JULY  FOURTH. 

1754  Colonel  Washington  capitulated  Fort  Necessity,  and  was  permitted  by 
the  French  commandant  to  march  out  with  his  arms  and  men.  The  only 
pledge  required  was  that  for  one  year  he  would  not  erect  defenses  west  of  the 
mountains. 

1775  The  Commander-in-chief  issued  his  first  order  to  the  troops  at  Cam- 
bridge, in  which  he  "  hoped  all  distinction  of  Colonies  would  be  laid  aside." 

1777  General  Washington  announced,  at  Morristown,  that  this,  the  first 
anniversary  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  should  be  celebrated  by  a  feu- 
de-joie,  and  every  soldier  should  be  served  with  an  extra  gill  of  rum. 

1779  The  anniversary  of  the  Fourth  of  July  was  celebrated  at  New  Wind- 
sor, N.  Y.,  by  the  Commander-in-chief  granting  pardon  to  all  prisoners  under 
sentence  of  death. 

1848  The  corner-stone  of  "The  National  Washington  Monument"  was  laid 
with  civic,  military,  and  masonic  ceremonies. 


"  To  Freedom  Potomac's  proud  obelisk  towers,  "  O  Symbol  of  Liberty,  matchless,  sublime, 

And  Karnak  and  Baalbec  in  beauty  outvies,  Still  soar  from  the  meadows  to  mate  with 

For  Washington's    glory  its  grandeur  em-  the  sun, 

powers,  And  see  thy  Republic  to  uttermost  time, 

And  Freedmen  with  joy  piled  its  stones  to  The    noble,   the    peerless,   the    Many  in 

the  skies;  One!" 

Edna  Dean  Proctor  (New  Hampshire). 

JULY  FIFTH. 

1775  The  Commander-in-chief  having  inspected  the  forts  in  the  vicinity  of 
Roxbury,  and  other  points,  expressed  surprise  and  pleasure  at  the  character  of 
these  defenses.  He  was  given  admirable  drawings  of  the  several  positions  occu- 
pied by  the  British,  made  by  young  John  Trumbull,  who  had  been  a  student  at 
Harvard  at  the  time  these  fortifications  were  being  constructed.  "  The  General 
most  earnestly  recommends  &  requires  of  all  the  Officers,  that  they  be  exceeding 
diligent  and  strict  in  preventing  all  Invasions  and  Abuse  of  private  property  in 
their  quarters  or  elsewhere;  that  it  is  unmanly  and  sully's  the  dignity  of  the 
great  cause,  in  which  we  are  all  engaged,  to  violate  that  property  he  is  called  to 
protect,  thus  to  add  to  the  Distresses  of  those  of  their  countrymen,  who  are  suf- 
fering under  the  Iron  hand  of  oppression."     Orderly  Book, 

1781  General  Washington  visited  the  French  army  at  North  Castle,  and 
was  welcomed  with  great  enthusiasm.  To  Count  de  Rochambeau  he  compli- 
mented Due  de  Lauzun  upon  the  rapid  forced  march  on  the  1st  of  that  noble- 
man's command,  the  brilliant "  Lauzun  Legion,"  when  ordered  to  support  General 
Lincoln's  intended  attack  on  Forts  Knyphausen,  Tryon,  and  George,  on  York 
Island. 


u  This  is  not  the  moment  to  retrace  in  this  Hall  all  that  great  man  has  done  for  the  free- 
dom of  America  ;  the  number  and  importance  of  his  warlike  exploits ;  the  generous  inspiration 
with  which  he  animated  the  French  who  fought  under  him,  and  the  sublime  act  by  which  he  did 
eternal  honor  to  his  memory;  when,  after  having  contributed  to  give  freedom  to  his  country,  he 
laid  down  all  authority — the  supreme  power — to  hide  his  glory  in  the  obscurity  of  private  life." 

Felix  Faulcon  (France,  1800). 


100  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


JULY  SIXTH. 


1775  The  Colonial  Congress,  in  the  name  of  the  United  Colonies,  proclaimed 
a  declaration  of  war  against  Great  Britain.  Congress  also  adopted  a  resolution 
to  levy  supplies  and  provide  men  and  money  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  Com- 
mander-in-chief in  the  prosecution  of  this  contest. 

1780  Washington  wrote  from  Preakness  to  his  brother-in-law,  Fielding 
Lewis :  "  We  neglected  to  obtain  soldiers  for  the  war  when  zeal  and  patriotism 
run  high,  and  men  were  eager  to  engage  for  a  trifle ;  the  consequence  is  we  have 
protracted  the  war,  and  expended  tens  of  millions  of  pounds  which  might  have 
been  saved,  and  have  a  new  army  to  discipline  once  or  twice  a  year." 

1791  President  Washington  returned  to  Philadelphia  from  his  Southern 
tour,  including  a  few  days'  repose  at  Mount  Vernon.  He  was  not  only  happy 
in  the  affectionate  welcome  he  everywhere  received,  but  most  gratified  by  the 
patriotic  zeal  manifested  among  all  classes.  This  was  the  longest  absence  during 
the  eight  years  of  his  service  as  Chief  Magistrate,  he  having  been  over  three 
months  away  from  the  seat  of  government. 


"  If  Washington  were  now  living  in  the  United  States,  he  would  find  the  political  atmo- 
sphere offensive  and  the  political  morality  intolerable ;  that  he  would  be  so  far  superior  to  the 
motives  and  influences  which  prevail  in  the  administration  of  the  government  as  to  be  virtually 
isolated ;  that  he  would  steadily  refuse  to  give  pledges  of  party  allegiance,  or  in  any  way  to 
prostitute  public  trusts  to  private  advantage,  and  least  of  all  would  reward  corruption  in 
elections  with  promotions  or  honors ;  that  he  would  hold  unscrupulous  and  impertinent  party 
'Bosses.'"  Frederick  D.  Huntington,  Bishop  of  New  York. 

JULY  SEVENTH. 

1775  "The  General  has  great  reason;  and  is  highly  displeased  with  the 
Negligence  and  Inattention  of  those  Officers,  who  have  placed  as  Centries,  at  the 
out-posts,  men  with  whose  Characters  they  are  not  acquainted.  He  therefore 
orders,  that  for  the  future,  no  Man  shall  be  appointed  to  those  important  Sta- 
tions, who  is  not  a  Native  of  this  Country,  or  has  a  wife  or  family  in  it  to  whom 
he  is  known  to  be  attached."     Orderly  Booh  (Cambridge). 

1778  The  Congress  in  session  at  Yorktown,  Pa.,  gave  a  vote  of  thanks  to 
General  Washington  "for  gaining  the  important  victory  at  Monmouth."  His 
old  and  faithful  friend,  Hon.  Henry  Laurens,  president  of  Congress,  wrote  him : 
"Love  and  respect  for  your  Excellency  are  impressed  on  the  heart  of  every 
grateful  American,  and  your  name  will  be  revered  by  posterity." 

1798  President  Adams  informed  ex-President  Washington  that  he  had 
"  sent  the  Secretary  of  War,  Hon.  James  McHenry,  to  Mount  Vernon  to  present 
his  commission  as  "  Lieutenant-General  and  Commander-in-chief  of  the  Pro- 
visional Army,"  and  regretted  that  he  could  not  personally  have  had  the  pleasure 
of  presenting  it."  It  would  have  been  a  grateful  task  for  the  pen  of  history  to 
have  recorded  such  a  visit. 


"  In  all  his  life's  history  Washington  was  a  patriot  and  a  lover  of  his  country,  but  a  lover  of 
it  through  its  union,  its  permanence,  its  strength.  WashiBgton's  character  and  fame  will  never 
be  disowned  or  dishonored  by  any  part  of  this  or  any  other  nation.  Other  nations  claim  a  share 
in  the  honor  which  shines  on  all  the  people  of  the  world." 

William  Maxwell  Evarts  (New  York). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  101 

JULY  EIGHTH. 

1755  Colonel  Washington,  in  a  covered  wagon,  overtook  General  Braddock 
on  the  eve  of  the  memorable  Monongahela  engagement.  Of  his  own  condition 
he  said  :  "  On  the  9th  I  attended  him  on  horseback  tho'  very  weak  and  low." 

1775  The  British  advance-guard  was  routed  and  driven  back  from  its  ap- 
proach on  Roxbury.  This  was  the  first  engagement  after  Washington  took 
command,  and  he  was  much  gratified  by  the  bearing  of  the  militia.  The  first 
council  of  war  was  held  the  following  morning,  "  in  which  it  was  unanimously 
determined  to  defend  the  posts  as  occupied,  and  that  measures  ought  to  be  im- 
mediately taken  to  increase  the  army  by  recruits." 

1796  Washington  having  determined  to  recall  the  Minister  to  France, 
Secretary  James  Madison,  offered  the  mission  to  Charles  Cotesworth  Pinckney, 
saying,  "  Policy  requires  that  this  character  should  be  well  attached  to  the  gov- 
ernment of  his  own  country  and  not  obnoxious  to  the  one  to  which  he  is  sent  to 
be  essentially  serviceable.  Where  then  can  a  man  be  found  that  would  answer 
this  description  better  than  yourself  !  " 


"  He  was  one  who  seemed  to  have  been  expressly  formed  by  Providence  for  the  mighty  w«rk 
of  establishing  the  independence  of  a  people,  which  may  one  day  delight  the  philanthropist  with 
the  view  of  as  great  an  assemblage  of  freemen,  as  Europe  now  contains  of  slaves.  .  .  .  No  one 
ever  passed  through  the  ordeal  of  power  and  influence  more  free  from  the  remotest  suspicion  of 
selfish  and  ambitious  designs."  British  Register  (1800). 

JULY   NINTH. 

1755  The  Battle  of  Monongahela  was  fought.  This  engagement  began  early 
in  the  morning  with  an  ambush  attack  from  the  Indians.  General  Braddock 
having  fallen,  and  all  superior  officers  being  either  killed  or  disabled,  Colonel 
Washington  received  the  order  for  retreat  from  the  wounded  commander,  and 
was  able  to  execute  this  order  by  using  his  sturdy  frontiersmen  to  protect  the  thin 
ranks  of  the  regulars.  Washington  had  two  horses  killed  under  him,  and  his 
escape  seemed  little  less  than  miraculous. 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief  ordered  "  The  Flag  of  the  United  Colonies," 
the  emblem  first  raised  at  Prospect  Hill,  to  be  raised  on  the  ramparts  at  New 
York,  and  the  Declaration  of  Independence  to  be  read  at  sunset  to  each 
brigade.  The  General  said :  "  The  Continental  Congress,  impelled  by  the  dictates 
of  duty,  policy  and  necessity,  have  pleased  to  dissolve  the  connection  which  sub- 
sisted between  this  country  and  Great  Britain,  and  declare  the  United  Colonies 
of  North  America  Free  and  Independent." 

1799  Washington  signed  and  dated  his  will  at  Mount  Vernon,  which  docu- 
ment is  preserved  in  a  glass  case  at  Fairfax  Court-House,  Va.  To  five  of  his 
nephews  he  left  his  swords,  saying,  u  These  swords  are  accompanied  with  an  in- 
junction not  to  unsheath  them  for  the  purpose  of  shedding  blood,  except  it  be 
in  self  defense  or  in  the  defense  of  their  country  and  kits  rights,  and  in  the  latter 
case  to  keep  them  unsheathed,  and  prefer  falling  with  them  in  their  hands  to  the 
relinquishment  thereof." 


"  If  virtue  can  secure  happiness  in  another  world,  he  is  happy.     In  this,  the  seal  is  now  put 
upon  his  glory.    It  is  no  longer  in  jeopardy  from  the  fickleness  of  fortune." 

Alexander  Hamilton  {New  York). 


102  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


JULY   TENTH. 


1776  After  the  reading  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  the  excited 
soldiers  tore  down  the  statue  of  George  III.,  corner  of  Greene  Street  and  Broad- 
way, New  York.  This  occurrence  the  Commander-in-chief  made  the  subject  of  a 
special  order:  "Though  the  General  does  not  doubt  those  who  pulled  down  and 
mutilated  the  statue  on  Broadway  last  night  were  actuated  by  zeal  in  the  public 
cause,  yet  it  has  so  much  the  appearance  of  a  riot  and  want  of  order  in  the  army, 
that  he  disapproves  the  manner,  and  directs  that  in  the  future  these  things  shall 
be  avoided  by  the  soldiery  and  left  to  be  executed  by  the  proper  authorities." 

1783  General  Washington  wrote  from  Newburg  to  his  lifelong  friend, 
George  William  Fairfax,  in  London,  on  the  happy  termination  of  the  Revolution, 
saying,  "  Which  I  can  truly  aver  was  not  in  the  beginning  premeditated ;  but 
the  result  of  dire  necessity  brought  about  by  the  persecuting  spirit  of  the 
British  Government." 

1787  Washington,  a  daily  witness  of  the  terrible  sectional  contest  raging  in 
the  old  hall,  in  a  most  discouraged  mood  expressed  his  fears  to  Hamilton  regard- 
ing the  probable  results  of  the  Constitutional  Convention,  saying,  "I  almost 
despair  of  seeing  a  favorable  issue  to  the  proceedings  of  our  convention,  and  do 
therefore  repent  having  any  agency  in  the  business." 


"Like  the  resurrection  angel,  Washington  rolled  back  the  stone  from  the  sepulchre  of  rea- 
son, dissolved  the  cerements  of  slavery,  and  led  forth  America  to  sovereignty  and  independence." 

Joseph  Story  (Massachusetts). 

JULY  ELEVENTH. 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief  informed  General  Schuyler  that  "General 
Howe's  fleet  from  Halifax  has  arrived,  in  number  about  one  hundred  and  thirty 
sail.  His  army  is  between  nine  and  ten  thousand,  being  joined  by  some  of  the 
regiments  from  the  West  Indies,  and  having  fallen  in  with  part  of  the  Highland 
troops  in  his  passage.  He  has  landed  his  men  on  Staten  Island,  which  they 
mean  to  secure,  and  is  in  daily  expectation  of  the  arrival  of  Lord  Howe  with  one 
hundred  and  fifty  ships  with  a  large  and  powerful  reinforcement." 

1777  General  Washington  cautiously  moved  his  army  from  Morristown  in 
the  direction  of  North  River,  anxiously  watching  General  Howe's  movements : 
his  purpose  was  to  prevent  Howe  from  cooperating  with  Burgoyne.  He  had 
just  received  the  depressing  news  of  General  St.  Clair's  evacuation  of  Ticonderoga 
and  Fort  Independence,  and  of  the  disastrous  engagement  at  Hubbardton. 

1779  The  Commander-in-chief  ordered  General  Parsons  to  report  the  num- 
ber of  houses  destroyed  by  the  British  in  an  expedition  up  the  Sound,  which 
investigation  showed  a  destruction  of  nearly  five  hundred  buildings  in  the 
towns  of  Fairfield  and  Norwalk,  necessarily  involving  an  immense  amount  of 
suffering,  and  intensified  bitterness  against  the  mother-country. 


"Whilst  I  do  not  begrudge  America  the  inheritance  of  his  fame,  I  cannot  allow  America  a 
monopoly  of  his  renown.  George  Washington  belongs  to  patriotism,  to  civilization,  and  to 
heroism  all  the  world  over.  He  was  a  child  of  the  larger  history,  not  a  mere  unit  in  the  develop- 
ment of  a  single  nation/'  Joseph  Parker,  D.  D.  (England). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  103 


JULY  TWELFTH. 


1778  From  Paramus,  N.  J.,  Washington  acknowledged  to  Congress  the 
honor  conferred  by  the  following  resolution  :  "  That  the  thanks  of  Congress  be 
given  to  General  Washington  for  the  activity  with  which  he  marched  from  the 
Camp  at  Valley  Forge  in  pursuit  of  the  enemy ;  for  his  distinguished  exertions 
in  forming  the  line  of  battle ;  and  for  his  great  good  conduct  in  leading  on  the 
attack  and  gaining  the  important  victory  at  Monmouth  over  the  British  Grand 
Army  under  the  command  of  General  Sir  H.  Clinton,  in  their  march  from  Phila- 
delphia to  New  York." 

1782  Washington  left  Newburg  for  Philadelphia  to  meet  Rochambeau.  To 
Colonel  Laurens  he  had  sent  a  pen-picture  of  the  situation :  "  Sir  Guy  Carleton 
is  using  every  art  to  soothe  and  lull  our  people  into  a  state  of  security.  Admiral 
Digby  is  capturing  all  our  vessels,  and  suffocating  all  our  seamen,  who  will  not 
enlist  into  their  service,  as  fast  as  possible,  in  Prison  Ships ;  and  Haldimand  (with 
his  savage  allies),  is  scalping  and  burning  the  frontiers." 

1798  James  McHenry,  Secretary  of  War,  having  reached  Mount  Vernon  the 
previous  evening  with  the  commission  of  "Lieutenant-General  and  Commander- 
in-chief  of  the  Provisional  Army,"  had  the  pleasure  this  day  of  writing  to 
President  Adams  the  conditional  acceptance  of  the  office  by  General  Washington. 


"  Nature  hath  culled  the  best  of  Greece  and  Rome, 
And  moulding  all  their  virtues  into  one 
Gave  to  the  infant  world — a  Washington." 

Martin  Farquhar  Tupper  (England). 

JULY  THIRTEENTH. 

1755  General  Braddock  expired  in  the  evening,  and  at  night,  by  torch-light, 
Colonel  Washington  read  the  "  Burial  Office n  over  his  late  commander.  A 
wagon-road  was  made  above  the  grave  of  the  unfortunate  officer,  that  the  spot 
might  not  be  discovered  by  desecrating  Indians.  His  military  training  and  ex- 
perience unfitted  him  for  savage  warfare,  and  here  in  the  wilderness  the  gallant 
soldier,  the  elegant  gentleman,  the  generous  heart  was  left  at  rest — while  the 
world  has  been  slow  to  do  justice  to  his  memory. 

1776  To  the  Secret  Committee  of  New  York,  Washington  urged,  "  The  ne- 
cessity of  falling  upon  some  measures  to  remove  from  the  city  and  its  environs 
persons  of  known  disaffection  and  enmity  to  the  cause  of  America.  A  suspicion 
that  there  are  Ministerial  agents  among  us,  would  justly  alarm  soldiers  of  more 
experience  and  discipline  than  ours." 

1798  General  Washington  inclosed  to  Colonel  Alexander  Hamilton  a  list  of 
"  Characters  fit  and  proper  to  be  employed "  in  the  Provisional  army,  Hamil- 
ton's name  heading  the  list,  with  the  rank  of  Major-General.  He  added:  u  I 
have  consented  to  embark  once  more  on  the  boundless  ocean  of  trouble  and 
responsibility." 


"It  is  a  satisfaction  to  reflect  that  when  the  demands  ef  demoralized  partisans  poured  in, 
that  he  should  return  to  the  political  arena  and  lead  them  against  his  old  comrades,  the  great 
man  lay  dead  amid  the  garden  where  all  the  sunshine  of  his  life  was  dialed  in  flowers  and  fruits 
and  loving  hearts."  Moncure  D.  Conway  ( Virginia). 


104  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


JULY  FOURTEENTH. 


1758  Washington  wrote  Colonel  Bouquet :  "  It  gives  me  great  pleasure  to 
find  you  approve  of  the  Indian  dress  I  have  put  my  men  into.  Caprice  and 
whim  had  no  share  in  causing  of  it :  —  ?t  is  evident,  I  think,  that  soldiers  in  such 
a  dress  are  better  able  to  carry  their  provisions,  are  fitter  for  the  active  service 
we  are  engaged  in,  and  less  liable  to  sink  under  the  fatigues  of  a  long  march." 

1775  "  It  is  recommended  both  to  Officers  and  Men  to  make  themselves  ac- 
quainted with  the  persons  of  all  the  Officers  in  General  Command,  and  in  the 
meantime;  to  prevent  mistakes ;  the  General  Officers  and  their  Aides  de  Camp 
will  be  distinguished  in  the  followiDg  manner.  The  Commander-in-chief  by  a 
light  blue  Ribband,  worn  across  his  breast,  between  his  Coat  and  Waistcoat. 
The  Majors  and  Brigadier  Generals  by  a  pink  Ribband,  worn  in  the  like  man- 
ner.   The  Aide  de  Camp  by  a  green  Ribband."     Orderly  Booh  (Cambridge). 

1778  General  Washington  wrote  a  letter  of  welcome  to  Count  d'Estaing 
upon  his  arrival  at  Sandy  Hook  with  a  fleet  and  four  thousand  men,  sent 
through  the  immediate  influence  of  Marie  Antoinette,  by  "  his  most  Christian 
Majesty,  our  great  ally."  He  immediately  suggested  to  that  officer  the  inter- 
cepting of  a  provision  fleet  which  had  sailed  from  Cork  with  supplies  for  the 
British  army. 


"  How  shall  we  rank  thee  upon  Glory's  page  ? 
Thou  more  than  soldier  and  just  less  than  sage." 

Thomas  Moore  {Ireland). 

JULY  FIFTEENTH. 

1761  Colonel  Washington  was  convalescing,  having  been  extremely  low 
with  fever  at  Mount  Vernon,  and  his  condition  pronounced  so  critical  that  there 
was  at  one  time  little  hope  entertained  of  his  life.  Frequent  and  severe  attacks 
of  illness  were  the  result  of  long  and  continued  exposure  in  his  years  of  frontier 
service. 

1772  "  Went  up  in  the  afternoon  with  Mrs.  Washington,  Mr.  J.  P.  Custis, 
Miss  Custis  and  Miss  Posey  to  a  Ball  in  Alexandria,  and  lodged  in  my  house  in 
town."     Washington's  Diary. 

1784  At  Mount  Vernon,  Washington  replied  to  the  address  from  the  As- 
sembly of  Virginia  sent  by  a  committee  of  that  body,  in  regard  to  erecting  a 
monument  to  his  honor,  saying,  "  Nothing  can  add  more  to  the  pleasure,  which 
arises  from  a  conscious  discharge  of  public  trust,  than  the  approbation  of  one's 
country.  To  have  been  so  happy,  under  a  vicissitude  of  fortune,  amidst  the 
difficult  and  trying  scenes  of  an  arduous  conflict,  as  to  meet  this,  is,  in  my  mind, 
to  have  attained  the  highest  honor ;  and  the  consideration  of  it  in  my  present 
peaceful  retirement  will  heighten  all  my  domestic  joys,  and  constitute  my  greatest 
felicity." 


"  The  endearing  charm  of  his  character  arises  from  the  fact  that,  without  possessing  mental 
qualifications  of  extraordinary  force  or  brilliancy,  he  habitually  used  the  whole  of  what  mind  he 
had  in  discovering  the  right  course.  He  had  a  genius  for  rectitude.  There,  indeed,  he  was  ex- 
traordinary; perhaps  unique  among  public  men."  James  Parton  {Missouri). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  105 

JULY   SIXTEENTH. 

1780  General  Washington  acknowledged  the  Count  de  Rochambeau's  de- 
spatches ;  also  the  nattering  personal  opinion  of  Louis  the  XVI. ;  and  "  as  a 
citizen  of  the  United  States,  and  as  a  soldier  in  the  cause  of  liberty,"  gave  a 
hearty  welcome  to  the  French  general  and  the  forces  under  him.  Two  days 
previous  he  had  transmitted  to  the  president  of  Congress,  Samuel  Huntington, 
the  glorious  news  of  the  arrival  of  the  French  army  on  the  tenth.  He  sent 
General  Lafayette  with  a  plan  of  operations  for  Count  de  Rochambeau  and 
Chevalier  de  Ternay,  and  out  of  compliment  to  the  allied  army,  requested  that 
black-and-white  cockades  be  adopted  by  the  Continental  troops. 

1782  Washington  and  Rochambeau,  having  met  by  appointment  in  Philadel- 
phia, agreed  that  the  French  army  should  leave  Williamsburg,  Va.,  and  join  the 
American  forces  on  the  Hudson.  The  previous  evening  the  generals  had  at- 
tended the  great  fete  given  by  the  Marquis  de  la  Luzerne,  on  the  Dauphin's 
birthday,  of  which  Dr.  Rush  wrote  his  wife:  "  There  were  Washington,  Rocham- 
beau, Morris,  Paine,  Duane,  Rush,  Indians,  Quakers,  in  fact  the  world." 

1790  President  Washington  approved  a  bill  locating  a  District  of  Territory, 
"  not  exceeding  ten  miles  square,  on  the  banks  of  the  Potomac  river,  between 
the  mouth  of  the  Eastern  Branch  and  the  Conococheague  for  a  permanent  seat 
of  Government." 


"The  name  and  deeds  of  Washington  will  live  so  long  as  liberty  has  a  votary,  or  freedom  a 
friend."  Hannibal  Hamlin  (Maine). 

JULY  SEVENTEENTH. 

1776  In  pursuance  of  a  military  order,  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was 
read  in  front  of  Faneuil  Hall,  Boston.  The  Commander-in-chief  wrote  General 
Sullivan,  urging  him  to  continue  in  the  army,  and  deploring  the  growing  spirit 
of  jealousy  among  officers.  Washington  notified  Congress  that  under  a  flag 
of  truce  General  Howe  had,  on  the  fourteenth,  sent  him  a  letter  addressed  to 
"  George  Washington,  Esq.,"  which  he  refused  to  receive.  Upon  it  being  pre- 
sented to  him,  Washington  said :  "  Sir,  this  letter  is  for  a  planter  in  Virginia." 
This  action  was  indorsed  by  Congress.  Adjutant-General  Patterson  bore  a 
second  letter  from  General  Howe  addressed  to  "  George  Washington,  Esq./'  but 
that  officer  was  so  impressed  with  Washington's  dignity  that  he  did  not  offer  to 
deliver  it. 

1781  The  Commander-in-chief  arranged  to  cross  North  River  with  Generals 
Rochambeau,  de  Beville,  Duportail,  and  other  French  officers  to  reconnoiter  the 
British  position  at  the  north  end  of  York  Island,  contemplating  a  second  attack 
on  the  enemy's  works  at  that  point.  Their  escort  was  one  hundred  and  fifty  men 
of  the  Jersey  troops. 


"  Born  to  high  destinies,  he  was  fashioned  for  them  by  the  hand  of  nature.  His  form  was 
noble.  His  port  majestic.  On  his  front  was  enthroned  those  virtues,  which  exalt,  and  those 
graces  which  adorn  the  human  character.  ...  He  had  every  title  at  command,  but  his  first  vic- 
tory was  over  himself.  To  each  desire  he  had  taught  the  lesson  of  moderation.  Prudence 
therefore  became  the  companion  of  his  life."  Gouverneur  Morris  (New  YorJc). 


106  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


JULY  EIGHTEENTH. 


1755  Colonel  Washington  wrote  Governor  Dinwiddie  the  details  of  Brad- 
dock's  defeat,  saying,  "  The  dastardly  behavior  of  the  Regular  troops  (so  called), 
exposed  those  who  were  inclined  to  do  their  duty  to  almost  certain  death." 
From  Governor  Innes  he  had  requested  better  accommodations,  and  transporta- 
tion, for  Colonel  Burton,  Captain  Orme,  and  Captain  Roger  Morris.  He  added:  "I 
doubt  not  but  you  have  had  an  account  of  the  poor  General's  death  by  some  of 
the  affrighted  wagoners  who  ran  off  without  taking  leave." 

1774  At  Alexandria,  Colonel  Washington  presided  over  and  was  chief  pro- 
moter of  the  famous  meeting  of  the  "  Freeholders  of  Fairfax  County,"  considered 
one  of  the  most  important  initiatory  movements  of  the  approaching  contest. 
Here  resolutions  embodying  the  sentiments  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
were  adopted.  Washington  was  chosen  delegate  to  present  the  same  at  Williams- 
burg, August  the  first,  reminding  the  world  —  "  The  Colony  of  Virginia  is  not  a 
conquered  country,  and  not  the  descendants  of  the  conquered,  but  of  conquerors." 

1775  u  The  General  hears  with  astonishment  the  very  frequent  applications, 
that  are  made  to  him,  as  well  by  Officers  as  Soldiers  for  Furloughs.  Brave  men 
who  are  engaged  in  the  noble  Cause  of  Liberty ;  should  never  think  of  removing 
from  their  Camp,  while  the  Enemy  is  in  sight"     Orderly  Book  (Cambridge). 


"Ambuscade  was  a  favorite  device  in  Indian  warfare.  It  was  in  such  a  conflict  that  Brad- 
dock  fell,  and  the  young  Washington  won  his  first  laurels."     William  Dorsheimer  {New  York). 

JULY  NINETEENTH. 

1743  George  Washington  attended  the  marriage  of  his  half-brother  Law- 
rence, to  Annie,  daughter  of  William  Fairfax,  Esq.,  of  Belvoir.  This  seat,  nearly 
opposite  Mount  Vernon,  was  one  of  the  most  elegant  on  the  Potomac,  and  noted 
for  its  generous  hospitality.  Soon  after  the  beginning  of  the  Revolution  the 
mansion  was  destroyed  by  fire. 

1758  Colonel  Washington  wrote  from  Fort  Cumberland  thanking  Colonel 
Bouquet  for  leave  to  attend  the  election  for  the  House  of  Burgesses  at  Winches- 
ter, but  declining  the  privilege.  He  was  a  candidate  for  the  seat,  and  in  his 
absence  Colonel  James  Ward,  the  founder  of  the  place,  represented  him,  and 
wrote  him :  "  I  was  carried  round  the  town  in  the  midst  of  a  general  applause 
and  huzzaing  for  Colonel  Washington." 

1782  Ten  French  officers  whose  regiment  was  halting  at  Colchester,  Va., 
were  invited  by  Mrs.  Washington  to  dine  at  Mount  Vernon.  Count  de  Custine, 
in  command,  sent  her  that  morning  an  elegant  set  of  French  China,  the  produc- 
tion of  his  own  factory  at  Pfalzburg,  Lorraine,  and  ornamented  with  the  initials 
and  coat  of  arms  of  her  husband.  Pieces  of  this  china  are  in  the  National 
Museum,  Washington,  D.  C. 


"Blest  with  the  most  commanding  figure,  a  dignity  which  forcibly  impressed  all  beholders, 
a  complacency  of  manners,  a  mind  highly  cultivated  and  stored  with  knowledge,  and  a  military 
fame  so  honorably  acquired;  he  seemed  formed  by  nature  for  great  and  glorious  deeds,  and 
pointed  out  by  the  hand  of  Deity, — to  America,  as  the  revolutionary  chief." 

Gunning  Bedford  {Delaware). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  107 

JULY  TWENTIETH. 

1758  The  only  known  letter  to  his  fiancee  Washington  wrote  from  Fort 
Cumberland : 

"  We  have  begun  our  march  for  the  Ohio.  A  courier  is  starting  for  Williams- 
burg, and  I  embrace  the  opportunity  to  send  a  few  words  to  one  whose  life  is 
now  inseparable  from  mine.  Since  that  happy  hour  when  we  made  our  pledges 
to  each  other,  my  thoughts  have  been  continually  going  to  you  as  to  another 
self.  That  an  All  Powerful  Providence  may  keep  us  both  in  safety  is  the  prayer 
of  your  ever  faithful  &  Ever  affectionate  Friend, 

"  To  Martha  Custis.  G°.  Washington." 

1775  "  The  General  orders  this  day  to  be  religiously  observed  by  the  Forces 
under  his  Command,  exactly  in  manner  directed  by  the  Continental  Congress. 
It  is  therefore  strictly  enjoin'd  on  all  Officers  and  Soldiers,  to  attend  Divine 
Service ;  and  it  is  expected,  that  all  those  who  go  to  worship,  do  take  their 
Arms,  Ammunition  and  Accoutrements,  &  are  prepared  for  immediate  action  if 
called  upon."     Orderly  Booh  (Cambridge). 

1780  "  The  Commander-in-chief  has  the  pleasure  to  congratulate  the  army 
on  the  arrival  of  a  large  land  and  naval  armament  at  Rhode  Island,  sent  by  his 
Most  Christian  Majesty,  the  King  of  France,  to  co-operate  with  the  troops  of 
these  states  against  the  common  enemy,  accompanied  with  every  circumstance 
that  can  render  it  honorable  and  useful." 


"  No  nobler  figure  ever  stood  in  the  fore  front  of  a  nation's  life." 

John  Richard  Green,  LL.  D.  (England). 

JULY  TWENTY-FIBST. 

1775  The  Commander-in-chief  ordered  the  removal  of  Harvard  students  to 
Concord,  a  less  exposed  point,  and  took  possession  of  the  buildings.  He  had  the 
news  of  Sullivan's  brilliant  victory  on  Long  Island  read  in  camp.  From  John 
Hancock,  Washington  received  a  letter  asking  for  service ;  that  devoted  patriot 
said:  "If  it  be  to  take  the  firelock  and  join  the  army  as  a  volunteer."  He  was 
animated  by  the  same  spirit  as  the  bra'  Scot  at  Williamsburg  the  previous  year 
who  called  out :  "  Hugh  Mercer  will  serve  his  adopted  country  and  the  cause  of 
Liberty  in  any  rank  or  station  in  which  he  may  be  appointed." 

1779  General  Washington  established  his  headquarters  near  West  Point,  at 
the  residence  of  John  Moore  (a  merchant  of  New  York).  At  this  post  he  re- 
mained for  four  months.  During  this  period  the  strong  works  were  constructed ; 
twenty-five  hundred  men  were  often  daily  on  fatigue  duty.  The  right  wing  of 
the  army  was  under  Putnam,  the  left  under  Heath,  and  the  garrison  commanded 
by  McDougal. 

1791  To  David  Humphreys  the  President  wrote :  "  I  cannot  see  much  pros- 
pect .of  living  in  tranquility  with  the  Indians,  so  long  as  the  spirit  of  land  job- 
bing prevails,  and  our  frontier  settlers  entertain  the  opinion,  that  there  is  not 
the  same  crime  in  killing  an  Indian,  as  in  killing  a  white  man." 


"  He  was  one  of  those  rare  specimens  of  humanity  in  whom  nearly  all  the  mental  organs 
are  largely  developed,  and  in  harmonious  proportions.  Such  a  combination  produces  a  charac- 
ter distinguished  for  mental  power  in  all  directions."  George  Combe  (England). 


108  GEOEGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


JULY  TWENTY-SECOND. 


1749  George  Washington,  aged  seventeen  years  and  five  months,  was  ap- 
pointed Surveyor  of  Culpeper  County,  Va.,  receiving  the  commission  upon  cer- 
tificates from  the  president  and  masters  of  William  and  Mary  College.  In  his 
first  official  signature,  u  Washington,  S.  C.  C,"  made  this  day,  he  doubtless  ex- 
perienced a  true  boy's  appreciation  of  its  importance,  and  more  conscious  gratifi- 
cation than  later  he  felt  in  placing  his  name  on  the  most  important  military 
order  or  state  document. 

1775  The  Commander-in-chief  made  three  divisions  of  his  troops,  placing 
Major-General  Artemus  Ward,  at  Roxbury,  in  command  of  the  right ;  Major- 
General  Charles  Lee,  Winter  and  Prospect  Hills,  the  left  j  and  Major-General 
Israel  Putnam,  Cambridge,  the  center. 

1782  General  Washington  in  Philadelphia  wrote  to  Mrs.  Richard  Stockton, 
n4e  Annis  Boudinot :  "  Your  favor  of  the  17th  conveying  to  me  your  '  Pastoral ' 
on  the  subject  of  Lord  Cornwallis'  capture  has  given  me  great  satisfaction.  I 
have  only  to  lament  that  the  hero  of  your  l  Pastoral '  is  not  more  deserving  of 

Sour  pen ;  but  the  circumstances  will  be  placed  among  the  happy  events  of  my 
fe." 


"  History  records  many  names  that  dazzle  the  imagination  with  a  greater  brilliancy,  but 
few,  indeed,  that  shine  with  so  pure  a  light,  steady,  permanent,  penetrating  and  serene.  Wash- 
ington's character  and  reputation,  as  contrasted  with  many  other  famous  men,  seem  to  re- 
semble in  effect  the  Doric  architecture  as  compared  with  Gothic  and  Oriental  styles. " 

Richard  Hildreth  (Massachusetts). 

JULY  TWENTY-THIRD. 

1775  General  Washington  wrote  General  John  Thomas  urging  him  not  to 
resign:  "  I  admit,  that  your  just  claims  and  services  have  not  had  due  respect. — 
Worthy  men  of  all  nations  and  countrys  have  had  reasons  to  make  the  same 
complaint,  but  they  did  not  for  this  abandon  the  public  cause,  they  nobly  stifled 
the  dictates  of  resentment,  and  made  their  enemy's  ashamed  of  their  injustice. 
For  the  sake  of  your  bleeding  country,  your  devoted  Province,  your  charter 
rights,  I  conjure  you  to  banish  from  your  mind  every  suggestion  of  anger  and 
disappointment ;  your  country  will  do  ample  justice  to  your  merits." 

1776  The  following  gratifying  resolution  was  unanimously  approved :  Re- 
solved, u  That  General  Washington  be  informed  that  Congress  have  such  an 
entire  confidence  in  his  judgement,  that  they  will  give  him  no  particular  direc- 
tions about  the  disposition  of  the  troops,  but  desire  that  he  will  dispose  of  those 
at  New  York,  the  Flying  Camp,  and  Ticonderoga  as  to  him  shall  seem  most  con- 
ducive to  the  public  good." 

1796  The  British  minister,  Robert  Liston,  with  his  wife,  and  the  Hon.  Henry 
Murray  Stuart,  second  son  of  the  Earl  of  Bute,  were  on  a  visit  of  several  days  to 
President  and  Mrs.  Washington  at  Mount  Vernon. 


Brave  Washington  arrives,  "  Great  Marlb'ro's  martial  flame 

Arrayed  in  warlike  fame,  To  lead  your  conquering  armies  on 

While  in  his  soul  revives  To  lasting  glory  and  renown." 

Song  (New  York,  1776). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY  109 

JULY  TWENTY-FOUBTH. 

1758  Colonel  George  Washington,  on  hearing  of  his  election  to  the  House  of 
Burgesses,  wrote  Colonel  James  Wood :  "  I  am  extremely  thankful  to  you  and  my 
other  friends  for  entertaining  the  Freeholders  in  my  name.  I  hope  no  Exception 
was  taken  to  any  that  voted  against  me,  but  all  were  alike  treated  and  all  had 
enough.  It  is  what  I  much  desired.  My  only  fear  is  that  you  spent  with  too 
sparing  a  hand." 

1777  The  Commander-in-chief  having  left  Galloway's  old  log-house,  where 
he  had  u  lodged  in  a  bed  and  his  military  family  on  the  floor  about  him,"  estab- 
lished his  headquarters  at  Ramapo.  He  received  an  intercepted  letter  from 
Howe  to  Burgoyne  announcing  his  intention  of  sailing  eastward.  This  convinced 
Washington  that  the  objective  point  was  Philadelphia,  in  which  he  was  not  mis- 
taken. To  this  place  he  immediately  ordered  two  divisions,  and  the  entire  army 
followed  at  once. 

1778  To  Henry  Laurens,  Washington  wrote:  "It  is  very  pleasing  to  hear 
that  prizes  are  already  finding  their  way  into  the  Delaware.  The  event  seems 
the  more  agreeable,  as  that  navigation,  but  yesterday  as  it  were,  could  scarcely 
contain  the  enemy's  fleet  and  their  numerous  captures  which  were  constantly 
crowding  in.    Happy  change." 


"I  must  confess  that  but  few  men  of  humanity  can  lay  claim  to  such  a  cult  as  George 
Washington,  the  intellectual  and  moral  Christopher  Columbus  of  Saint  Liberty.  Of  course  he 
was  greater  than  Napoleon  I.,  much  more  amiable  than  Cromwell,  and  realized  at  the  utmost  that 
which  old  Greece  used  to  call  Kalokagathos — kind-hearted."  Hans  Von  Bulow  (Saxony). 

JULY  TWENTY-FIFTH. 

1758  Colonel  Washington  wrote  his  superior  oflicer,  Colonel  Bouquet :  "  I 
shall  most  cheerfully  work  on  any  road,  pursue  any  route ;  or  enter  upon  anv 
service,  that  the  General  or  yourself  may  think  me  usefully  employed  in,  or  quali- 
fied for ;  and  shall  never  have  a  will  of  my  own  when  a  Duty  is  required  of  me." 

1782  General  Washington,  accompanied  by  Colonel  Trumbull  and  Major 
Walker,  passed  two  days  at  the  "  Sun  Inn,"  in  the  Moravian  village  of  Bethlehem. 
He  attended  their  services,  listened  to  a  sermon  from  brother  Ettwein,  and  took 
this  occasion  to  express  his  obligations  for  their  kindness  in  nursing  his  wounded, 
especially  to  the  good  sister  who  had  nursed  his  dear  friend  Lafayette. 

1788  Washington,  from  Mount  Vernon,  wrote  to  Mathew  Carey,  approving 
of  "  The  Museum,"  and  giving  his  opinion  in  regard  to  the  benefits  of  such  publi- 
cations. u  For  myself  I  have  a  high  idea  of  the  utility  of  periodical  publications, 
in  so  much  that  1  could  heartily  desire  copies  of  the  '  Museums/  and  magazines, 
as  well  as  common  gazettes,  might  be  spread  through  every  city,  town  and  village 
in  America ;  and  I  consider  such  easy  vehicles  of  knowledge  more  happily  cal- 
culated than  any  other  to  preserve  the  liberty,  stimulate  the  industry  and  melior- 
ate the  morals  of  an  enlightened  and  free  people." 


"  Washington  was  too  far  seeing  as  a  statesman  not  to  perceive  that  true  liberty  must  rest 
on  the  basis  of  popular  education."  Annie  Alido  Abrahams  (New  York). 


110  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


JULY  TWENTY-SIXTH. 


I 


1752  Major  Lawrence  Washington  died  at  Mount  Vernon,  the  plantation 
inherited  from  his  father.  He  was  in  His  Britannic  Majesty's  service,  and  in  1743 
built  and  named  his  home  on  the  Potomac  after  his  superior  officer  Admiral 
Vernon.  His  only  surviving  child,  a  delicate  infant  daughter,  lived  but  a  few 
months ;  this  estate,  by  his  will,  then  descended  to  his  half-brother  George. 

1755  Colonel  Washington  reached  Mount  Vernon  from  the  Braddock  cam- 
aign.  From  Fort  Cumberland  to  his  brother  John  Augustine,  he  wrote :  "  I  have 
eard  a  circumstantial  account  of  my  death  and  dying  speech.  I  take  this  early 
opportunity  of  contradicting  the  first,  and  assuring  you  that  I  have  not  as  yet 
composed  the  latter." 

1775  The  Commander-in-chief  most  heartily  welcomed  to  Cambridge  several 
companies  of  Virginia  sharp-shooters  under  Colonel  Thompson.  Captain  Daniel 
Morgan  was  commander  of  one  company.  These  troops  had  marched  six  hundred 
miles  through  the  wilderness,  in  twenty-eight  days.  The  men  wore  the  frontier 
costumes  of  undressed  buckskin  with  coonskin  caps  and  capes,  the  style  which 
is  recognized  as  "  a  la  Daniel  Boone.11 

1788    The  State  of  New  York  adopted  the  Federal  Constitution. 


"Many  as  are  the  heroic  traits  and  lovable  characteristics  of  the  immortal  Washington, 
none  is  so  worthy  of  unbounded  praise  as  his  firm  and  unswerving  devotion  to  public  duty,  his 
urbane  bearing  and  kindly  consideration  towards  those  whom  rank  had  placed  beneath  him :  his 
modesty  of  personal  demeanor,  and,  last  and  greatest  of  all,  that  grand  republican  spirit  which 
made  him  spurn  the  thought  of  personal  dictatorship  or  crowned  royalty." 

Hugo  Muench,  President  North  American  Tumerbund. 

JULY  TWENTY-SEVENTH. 

1775  General  Washington  wrote  his  brother :  "  I  found  the  enemy  in  posses- 
sion of  a  place  called  Bunker's  Hill,  strongly  intrenched  and  fortifying  them- 
selves. I  found  part  of  our  army  on  two  hills,  called  Winter  and  Prospect  Hills, 
about  a  mile  and  a  quarter  from  the  enemy  in  a  very  insecure  state.  I  found 
another  part  of  the  army  at  Cambridge,  and  a  third  part  at  Roxbury  guarding 
the  entrance  in  and  out  of  Boston." 

1780  From  Preakness,  the  Commander-in-chief  informed  Lafayette,  "  Mr. 
Clinton  still  continues  to  threaten  your  countrymen  with  a  combined  attack.  I 
have  put  the  troops  here  under  marching  orders,  and  I  have  ordered  those  at 
West  Point  to  King's  Ferry.  If  Clinton  moves  in  force  to  Rhode  Island,  we  may 
possibly  be  able  to  take  advantage  of  it." 

1789  This  day  Congress  created  the  department  of  foreign  affairs;  the 
name  was  changed  on  September  15th  to  the  Department  of  State.  The  Presi- 
dent, in  declining  to  give  his  nephew  Bushrod  Washington  an  office,  wrote,  in 
addition  to  other  reasons :  u  My  political  conduct  in  nominations,  even  if  I  were 
uninfluenced  by  principles  must  be  exceedingly  circumspect  and  proof  against 
just  criticism ;  for  no  slip  will  pass  unnoticed  that  can  be  improved  into  a  sup- 
posed partiality  for  friends,  or  relations." 


"In  modern  times,  Washington,  I  believe,  was  the  greatest  man,  and  next  to  him,  William 
the  Third."  Sir  Henry  Grattan  (England). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  Ill 

JULY  TWENTY-EIGHTH, 

1775  The  Commander-in-chief,  from  Cambridge,  confided  to  Major-General 
Schuyler,  that,  "  Confusion  and  disorder  reigned  in  every  department,  which,  in 
a  little  time,  must  have  ended  either  in  the  separation  of  the  army  or  fatal  con- 
tests with  one  another.  The  better  genius  of  America  has  prevailed,  and  most 
happily  the  Ministerial  troops  have  not  availed  themselves  of  their  advantages, 
till  I  trust  the  opportunity  has  in  a  great  measure  passed  over." 

1791  To  Gouverneur  Morris  the  President  said :  "  In  my  late  tour  through  the 
southern  states,  I  experienced  great  satisfaction  in  seeing  the  good  effects  of  the 
general  government  in  that  part  of  the  Union.  The  farmer,  the  merchant,  and 
the  mechanic  have  seen  their  several  interests  attended  to,  and  they  unite  in 
placing  confidence  in  their  representatives.  Industry  has  there  taken  place  of 
idleness,  and  economy  of  dissipation." 

1 795  The  Presidentjpom  Mount  Vernon,  replied  to  the  protest  of  the  "  Select- 
men of  Boston,"  against  the  ratification  of  the  Jay  Treaty  with  Great  Britain. 
After  expressing  appreciation  of  their  views,  and  thanking  them  for  their  confi- 
dence, he  with  dignity  declared  his  determination,  adding :  "  The  Constitution  is 
the  guide  which  I  can  never  abandon." 


"Attachment  to  you  as  well  as  to  my  country  urges  me  to  pray  that  you  will  not  leave  the 
work  unfinished.  Remain  with  us  at  least  while  the  storm  lasts,  and  until  you  can  retire  like  the 
sun  in  a  calm  unclouded  evening.    May  every  blessing  here  and  hereafter  attend  you." 

John  Jay j  Chief  Justice  TJ.  S.  Supreme  Court  (1796). 

JULY  TWENTY-NINTH. 

1757  Colonel  Washington,  in  his  instructions  to  all  the  captains  of  compa- 
nies, said :  "  Discipline  is  the  soul  of  an  army.  It  makes  small  numbers  formi- 
dable ;  procures  success  to  the  weak,  and  esteem  to  all ;  and  may  in  a  peculiar 
manner  to  us,  who  are  in  the  way  to  be  joined  to  Regulars  in  a  very  short  time, 
and  of  distinguishing  thro'  this  means,  from  other  Provincials." 

1780  The  Commander-in-chief  continued  to  make  every  apparent  prepara- 
tion to  attack  New  York.  He  ordered  his  troops  to  march  from  Preakness  to 
Paramus,  which  in  the  extreme  heat  greatly  overcame  them.  His  purpose  was 
to  prevent  General  Clinton  from  moving  on  the  Allies  at  Newport,  for  which  ex- 
pedition some  of  the  British  troops  had  already  embarked.  These  manoeuvers 
were  successful,  and  caused  the  British  general,  much  to  the  relief  of  the  Con- 
tinentals, and  the  amusement  of  European  spectators,  to  countermand  his  orders 
and  retain  his  army  in  New  York. 

1781  General  Washington  divulged  to  Lafayette,  who  was  in  command  in 
Virginia,  the  reason  of  the  movement  of  the  two  armies  about  New  York,  which 
was  to  induce  the  enemy  to  recall  their  troops  from  the  South.  "  Our  views 
must  now  be  turned  towards  endeavoring  to  expel  them  totally  from  those 
states,  if  we  find  ourselves  incompetent  for  the  siege  of  New  York." 


"  The  fame  of  Washington  is  enshrined  in  the  existence  and  grows  with  the  growth  of  youi 
great  republic."  Sir  Frederick  Leighton  (England). 


112  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


JULY  THIRTIETH. 


1775  Colonel  Joseph  Trumbull,  whom  the  Commander-in-chief  had  placed 
on  his  staff  three  days  before,  was  made  commissary-general.  He  appointed 
William  Tudor,  Esq.,  first  judge  advocate  of  the  army,  and  ordered  that  he  be 
so  recognized  and  obeyed.  Washington  wrote  to  his  brother  Samuel  that,  in 
regard  to  the  British  success  at  Bunker  Hill,  "  a  few  more  such  victories  will 
destroy  their  army  and  put  an  end  to  the  present  contest." 

1777  The  Commander-in-chief  crossed  the  Delaware  Eiver,  marching  on 
Philadelphia.  At  Coryell's  Ferry,  N.  J.,  he  halted  the  army,  expecting  advices  of 
the  British  fleet  entering  Delaware  Bay.  To  General  Gates  he  wrote :  "  General 
Howe  in  a  manner  abandoning  General  Burgoyne  .is  so  unaccountable  a  matter ; 
that,  'till  I  am  fully  assured  it  is  so,  I  cannot  help  casting  my  Eyes  continually 
behind  me." 

1779  At  West  Point,  Washington,  in  writing  to  General  Wayne,  expressed 
his  belief  in  the  information  received  of  the  sailing  of  Admiral  Arbuthnot  from 
Torbay,  with  seven  thousand  Hessian  and  British  troops.  He  also  announced 
the  arrival  from  England  of  Lord  Cornwallis,  who  had  been  absent  six  months, 
on  account  of  the  illness  and  death  of  his  wife ;  he  held  this  British  general  in 
high  esteem  as  an  officer  and  a  man. 


"  Long  as  the  everlasting  hills  endure,  "  Long  as  that  Orb  creates  Aurora's  dawn, 

Long  as  old  Ocean  beats  the  rock-bound  shore,    Long  as  the  constellations  gem  the  sky, 
Long  as  the  planets  by  the  Sun  are  drawn,  Thy  name,  Great  Washington,  will  never  die." 

William  Williams,  Signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  (Connecticut). 

JULY  THIRTY-FIBST. 

1776  Washington  informed  Congress  that  he  was  engaged  in  the  construc- 
tion of  a  "  Fire  ship."  He  suggested  that  the  uniform  for  a  portion  of  the  army 
be  "  Hunting  shirts  with  long  Breeches  made  of  the  same  cloth,  and  Gaiter  fashion 
about  the  Legs,"  and  said :  "  No  dress  can  be  had  cheaper  or  more  convenient, 
as  the  wearer  may  be  cool  in  warm  weather.  Besides  which ;  it  is  a  dress  which 
is  justly  supposed  to  carry  no  small  terror  to  the  enemy,  who  think  every  such 
person  a  complete  marksman." 

1777  At  Coryell's  the  Commander-in-chief  was  notified  by  Congress  that  the 
British  fleet  of  two  hundred  and  twenty-eight  sail  was  off  the  capes  of  Delaware ; 
he  immediately  left  for  Philadelphia,  to  which  point  the  main  body  of  his  army 
was  marching  by  way  of  the  Old  York  Road.  Washington  devoted  two  days  to 
an  examination  of  the  defenses  of  the  Delaware.  Congress  on  this  day  commis- 
sioned Marquis  de  Lafayette  major-general  in  the  Continental  army. 

1787  "  Whilst  Mr.  Morris  was  fishing  I  rid  over  the  old  cantonment  of  the 
American  (army)  of  the  winter  1777  &  8,  visited  all  the  Works,  wch  were  in 
Ruins ;  and  the  Incampments  in  woods  where  the  ground  had  not  been  cultivated. 
On  my  return  to  Mrs.  Moores  I  found  Mr.  Robt.  Morris  and  his  lady  there." 
Washington's  Diary  (Philadelphia). 


"  If  the  title  of  great  man  should  be  awarded  to  those  who,  in  difficult  situations,  perform 
highest  duties  most  beneficially  to  their  country,  and  most  in  accord  with  the  rules  of  wisdom, 
no  character  of  ancient  history,  none  of  modern  times,  has  been  more  worthy  than  Washington 
of  that  noble  name."  Marquis  Francois  de  BarM-Maroois  {France). 


1 


AUGUST  FIRST. 

1774  Colonel  Washington  notes  in  his  diary:  "Went  from  Colonel  Bassetts 
to  Williamsburg  to  the  meeting  of  the  Convention ;  Dined  at  Mrs.  Campbells 
spent  ye  evening  at  my  Lodgings."  At  this  convention,  which  met  in  the  Apollo 
room,  Raleigh  Tavern,  he  presented  the  famous  memorial  of  the  "Freeholders 
of  Fairfax  County ."  Washington  said  in  an  eloquent  speech,  when  discussing  the 
raising  of  troops :  "  I  will  equip  one  thousand  men,  subsist  them  at  my  own  ex- 
pense, and  march  at  once  to  the  relief  of  Boston." 

1779  The  Commander-in-chief  wrote  to  Edmund  Randolph  of  Virginia: 
"  From  what  causes  it  proceeds  I  shall  not  undertake  to  say,  but  so  the  fact  is, 
we  are  laboring  under  the  effects  of  two  of  the  greatest  evils  that  can  befall  a 
state  of  war,  a  reduced  army  at  the  beginning  of  a  campaign,  which  more  than 
probably  is  intended  for  a  decisive  one,  and  want  of  money ;  or  rather  a  redun- 
dency  of  it,  by  which  it  is  become  of  no  value." 

1780  From  Peekskill,  General  Washington  wrote  to  Lafayette :  "We  are  thus 
far,  dear  Marquis,  on  our  way  to  New  York.  To-morrow  the  whole  army  was  to 
have  taken  up  its  line  of  march,  and  would  have  moved  with  all  the  rapidity  in 
our  power  to  this  place,  had  we  not  a  few  hours  since  advice  from  the  sound, 
dated  yesterday,  that  the  fleet  of  transports  (of  the  enemy)  had  put  back  and 
were  steering  Westward."  Washington  congratulated  himself  that  "  Newport 
had  been  protected  without  the  firing  of  a  gun." 

1782  General  Sir  Guy  Carleton,  officially  informed  General  Washington 
that  u  Mr.  Laurens  has  been  some  time  in  perfect  freedom  and  had  declared  that 
he  considered  Lord  Cornwallis  as  exchanged." 


"On  the  whole  his  character  was  in  its  mass  perfect;  in  nothing  bad,  in  few  points  in- 
different ;  and  it  may  be  truly  said  that  never  did  nature  and  fortune  combine  more  perfectly 
to  make  a  man  great,  and  to  place  him  in  the  same  constellation  with  whatever  worthies  have 
merited  from  man  an  everlasting  remembrance.  For  his  was  the  singular  merit  and  destiny  of 
leading  the  army  of  his  country  successfully  through  an  arduous  war  for  the  establishment  of 
its  independence,  of  conducting  its  councils  through  the  birth  of  a  government  new  in  its  form 
and  principles,  until  it  had  settled  down  into  a  quiet  and  orderly  train ;  and  of  scrupulously 
obeying  the  laws  through  the  whole  of  his  career,  civil  and  military,  of  which  the  history  of  the 
world  furnishes  no  other  example.  .  .  .  Perhaps  the  strongest  feature  in  his  character  was 
prudence,  never  acting  until  every  circumstance,  every  consideration  was  maturely  weighed ; 
refraining  if  he  saw  a  doubt,  but  when  once  decided,  going  through  with  his  purpose  whatever 
obstacles  opposed.  .  .  .  His  integrity  was  pure,  his  justice  the  most  inflexible  I  ever  knew." 

Thomas  Jefferson  (Virginia). 
8  113 


114  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


AUGUST  SECOND. 


1755  Washington  wrote  his  brother  Augustine :  u  So  little  am  I  dispirited 
by  what  has  happened,  I  am  always  ready  and  willing  to  render  my  country  any 
services  I  am  capable  of,  but  never  upon  such  terms  as  I  have  done,  having 
suffered  very  much  in  my  private  fortune  besides  impoverishing  one  of  the  best 
of  constitutions." 

1757  Colonel  Washington  advised  Governor  Dinwiddie,  liquor  had  to  be 
supplied  to  the  Indians,  and  "  that  they  would  not  eat  salt  meat,  but  killed  fresh 
wherever  game  was  to  be  found."  In  regard  to  "two  deserters  and  great  vil- 
lians  " :  u  Y our  honor  will,  I  hope,  excuse  my  hanging  instead  of  shooting  them. 
It  conveyed  much  more  terror  to  others,  and  it  was  for  examples  sake  that  we 
did  it." 

1777  At  a  public  dinner  in  Philadelphia,  Washington  first  met  the  Marquis 
de  Lafayette,  who,  though  not  yet  twenty,  was  major-general  in  the  French  and 
Continental  armies.  He  thanked  the  young  Frenchman  for  the  zeal  shown  "  in 
leaving  France  and  his  bride  to  assist  the  cause  of  America,"  and  at  once  re- 
ceived him  into  his  military  family  as  well  as  into  his  heart  and  confidence. 
Their  sudden  attachment  had  a  flavor  of  romance,  and  their  relations  were  like 
unto  that  of  father  and  son. 


"Although  Washington  was  surrounded  by  officers  and  citizens,  it  was  impossible  to  mistake 
for  a  moment  his  majestic  figure  and  deportment ;  nor  was  he  less  distinguished  by  the  noble 
affability  of  his  manner."  Lafayette. 

AUGUST  THIRD. 

1775  The  Commander-in-chiefs  anxiety  amounted  to  consternation  upon  the 
discovery,  at  Cambridge,  that  his  powder-supply  was  so  small — only  a  half-pound 
to  a  man.  General  Sullivan  said :  "  Washington  was  so  struck  that  he  did  not 
utter  a  word  for  a  half  hour." 

1776  "The  General  is  sorry  to  be  informed  that  the  foolish  and  wicked 
practice  of  profane  swearing,  a  vice  hitherto  but  little  known  in  an  American 
army,  is  growing  into  fashion.  He  hopes  the  officers  will  by  example,  as  well  as 
influence,  endeavor  to  check  it,  and  that  both  they  and  the  men  will  reflect  that 
we  can  have  but  little  hope  of  the  blessing  of  heaven  on  our  arms  if  we  insult  it 
by  our  impiety  and  folly.  Added  to  this,  it  is  a  vice  so  mean  and  low,  without 
any  temptation,  that  every  man]  of  sense  and  character  detests  and  despises  it." 
Orderly  Book  (New  York). 

1780  Washington,  after  several  requests  from  General  Arnold,  ordered  him 
to  the  command  of  u  the  West  Point  and  its  dependencies,"  embracing  the  flower 
of  the  Continental  army,  massed  ready  to  march  into  the  Jerseys. 


"While  Plenty  decks  Columbia's  plains,  " Through  his  whole  life  no  blemish  could  be 

Where'er  the  voice  of  fame  is  heard,  found, 

While  love  of  Liberty  remains,  From  stern  integrity  he  never  swerv'd, 

Washington  shall  be  revered.  He  honored  openly  the  God  he  served. 

With    deathless    laurels  were    his   temples      To  us  who  mourn  he  has  example  given 

bound,  And  made  more  bright  the  path  which  leads 

to  Heaven." 

Susanna  Bowson  (England). 


GEOEGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  115 

AUGUST  FOURTH. 

1775  General  Washington  thanked  Governor  Trumbull  for  the  "New 
Levies/'  fourteen  hundred  recruits  sent  by  Connecticut.  This  was  a  great  en- 
couragement to  the  General  and  the  army,  especially  as  the  Governor's  two  sons 
were  among  the  volunteers.  Washington  attached  both  to  his  staff,  and  they 
proved  to  be  valuable  officers.  "New  Levies"  was  the  term  applied  to  the  sec- 
ond supply  of  troops  furnished  by  the  Colonial  governors. 

1778  In  importuning  Congress  to  make  some  important  changes,  the  Com- 
mander-in-chief commended,  in  unmeasured  terms,  the  administration  of  Gen- 
eral Greene,  quartermaster-general,  and  of  Colonel  Wadsworth,  commissary- 
general.  Ephriam  Blaine  Esq.,  of  Pennsylvania  had  the  year  before  succeeded 
Mr.  Buchanan  as  "  Commissary-General  of  Purchases  * ;  but  in  truth  there  was 
little  produced  to  be  purchased — the  plowshare  had  been  turned  into  the  sword. 

1787  Washington  while  presiding  over  the  Constitutional  Convention  en- 
joyed a  couple  of  days'  recreation  with  a  fishing-party  at  the  Trenton  Works, 
and  notes :  '•  In  the  morning  &  between  breakfast  and  dinner  fished  again  with 
more  success,  (for  perch),  than  yesterday.  Dined  at  Genl.  Philemon  Dicken- 
son's on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  a  little  above  Trenton,  &  returned  in  the  even- 
ing to  Colo.  Ogden's." 

"It  will  be  the  duty  of  the  Historian  and  the  Sage  in  all  ages  to  omit  no  occasion  of  com- 
memorating this  illustrious  man ;  and  until  time  shall  be  no  more  will  a  test  of  the  progress 
which  our  race  has  made  in  wisdom  and  in  virtue  be  derived  from  the  veneration  paid  to  the  im- 
mortal name  of  Washington."  Lord  Brougham  (England). 

AUGUST  FIFTH. 

1756  Colonel  Washington  wrote  to  the  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Burgesses: 
"  Our  soldiers  complain  that  their  pay  is  insufficient  even  to  furnish  shoes,  shirts, 
stockings  &c  which  their  officers,  in  order  to  keep  them  fit  for  duty,  oblige  them 
to  provide.  This,  they  say  obliges  them  to  drag  through  a  disagreeable  service, 
in  the  most  disagreeable  manner." 

1774  In  the  Apollo  room,  Raleigh  Tavern,  at  the  Williamsburg  Convention, 
Commissioners  were  this  day  selected  by  ballot  to  attend  the  General  Congress  to 
meet  at  Philadelphia  in  September,  and  it  was  resolved  that  one  thousand  pounds 
be  raised  by  subscription,  in  the  several  counties,  to  defray  the  expenses  of  these 
gentlemen.  Those  chosen  were  Peyton  Randolph,  Richard  Henry  Lee,  Patrick 
Henry,  George  Bland,  Benjamin  Harrison,  Edmund  Pendleton,  and  George 
Washington. 

1783  Washington  returned  to  Newburg  from  his  tour  with  Governor  Clinton 
through  the  northern  part  of  New  York,  having  traveled  750  miles  in  nineteen 
days.  They  visited  Saratoga,  Fair  Chapel,  Lake  George,  Freeburg,  Arm  Point, 
Schenectady,  and  Fort  Stanwix  (Oriskany).  In  conjunction  with  the  Governor  he 
made  an  effort  to  buy  a  large  tract  of  land  at  Saratoga,  being  greatly  pleased 
with  its  waters,  and  at  that  early  day  predicted  the  brilliant  future  of  the  now 
celebrated  springs. 

"George  Washington  always  seemed  to  me  our  best  example  of  pure  character,  our  finest 
illustration  of  the  power  of  '  disciplined  will.'  Other  men  have  had  more  genius,  a  deeper  in- 
sight into  causes,  a  clearer  perception  of  the  meaning  of  events,  but  for  loyalty  to  conviction, 
for  incorruptible  integrity,  for  single-hearted  fidelity  to  conscience,  he  stands  peerless." 

Octavius  E.  Frothingham,  B.  B.  (Massachusetts). 


116  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


AUGUST   SIXTH. 


1777  Washington  wrote  his  brother  from  Germantown :  "  Since  General 
Howe's  remove  from  the  Jerseys,  the  troops  under  my  command  have  been  more 
harassed  by  marching,  and  countermarching  than  by  any  thing  that  has  hap- 
pened to  them  in  the  course  of  the  campaign.  The  fatigue,  and  injury  which 
men  must  sustain  by  long  marches  in  such  extreme  heat,  must  keep  us  quiet,  till 
we  hear  something  of  the  destination  of  the  enemy.7'  This  day  was  fought  the 
battle  of  Oriskany  (Fort  Stanwix),  where  the  Stars  and  Stripes  was  unfurled  for 
the  first  time  over  a  field  of  battle,  and  where  fell  the  dauntless  Herkimer. 

1779  Governor  Henry  Hamilton  having  capitulated  to  a  Virginia  detach- 
ment, which  had  marched  through  the  wilderness,  and  invested  Fort  St.  Vin- 
cent, was  taken  as  a  prisoner  to  Richmond.  The  council  of  Virginia  decided 
that  as  he  had  been  guilty  of  exciting  the  Indians  to  deeds  of  cruelty,  he  was  a 
proper  subject  of  retaliation.  Governor  Jefferson  submitted  the  question  to  the 
Commander-in-chief,  who  replied  that  Hamilton,  having  capitulated,  could  not, 
according  to  the  usages  of  war,  be  subjected  to  any  uncommon  severity. 


"  When  Freedom,  from  her  mountain  height,  "And  striped  its  pure  celestial  white 
Unfurled  her  standard  to  the  air,  With  streakings  of  the  morning  light; 

She  tore  the  azure  robe  of  night,  Then  from  his  mansion  in  the  sun, 

And  set  the  stars  of  glory  there !  She  called  her  eagle  bearer  down, 

She  mingled  with  its  gorgeous  dyes  And  gave  into  his  mighty  haud 

The  milky  baldric  of  the  skies,  The  symbol  of  her  chosen  land!" 

Joseph  Rodman  Drake  (New  York). 

AUGUST  SEVENTH. 

1776  General  Washington,  having  learned  through  deserters  that  General 
Clinton  and  Lord  Cornwallis  had  arrived  from  South  Carolina  with  4,000  troops 
and  landed  on  Staten  Island,  thus  massing  the  British  forces,  said :  "  The  disgrace 
of  the  British  arms  at  the  southward,  and  the  season  being  far  advanced,  will  make 
them  exert  every  nerve  against  us  in  this  quarter.  We  are  to  oppose  an  army 
of  30,000  experienced  veterans,  with  about  one  third  the  number  of  raw  troops, 
and  these  scattered  some  fifteen  miles  apart." 

1783  Congress  resolved,  u  That  an  equestrian  statue  of  General  Washington 
shall  be  erected  at  the  place  where  the  residence  of  Congress  shall  be  established. 
That  the  statue  be  executed  by  the  best  artist  in  Europe,  under  the  superintendence 
of  the  Minister  of  the  United  States  at  the  Court  of  Versailles,  and  that  money 
to  defray  the  expense  be  furnished  from  the  treasury  of  the  United  States."  The 
Washington  National  Monument  was  the  result  of  this  act. 

1789  The  Department  of  War  and  of  the  Navy  was  created,  and  they  con- 
tinued under  one  head  until  1798.  The  first  cabinet  officer  nominated  by  the 
first  President  was  General  Henry  Knox,  who  on  September  12th  was  confirmed. 


"Serene,    majestic,    like    thyself,    he    firmly  "Of  patriot  tried  and  trae,  of  soldier,  and  of 

stood,  sage. 

Immovable,  tho'  storms  of  hate  did  round  him  Tho'  oft  thy  sun-lit  brow  gleams  like  the  driven 

rage ;  snow, 

On  truth's  foundation  fixed,  embodied  every  Yet  round  his  peerless  head  there  rests  a 

good  brighter  glow." 

Alexander  Barnes  (Minnesota). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  117 

AUGUST  EIGHTH. 

1775  "  It  has  been  intimated  to  the  General,  that  some  officers,  under  pre- 
tence of  giving  furloughs  to  men  recovering  from  sickness,  send  them  to  work 
upon  their  farms  for  their  own  private  emolument,  at  the  same  time  that  the 
public  is  taxed  with  their  pay,  if  not  with  their  provisions.  He  will  show  no 
favor  to  any  officer  who  shall  be  found  guilty  of  such  iniquitous  practices  ;  but 
will  do  his  utmost  endeavors  to  bring  them  to  exemplary  punishment,  and  the 
disgrace  due  to  such  mal-conduct."     Orderly  Booh  (Cambridge). 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief,  when  told  of  an  outbreak  in  the  Pennsylvania 
troops,  said :  "  I  have  placed  so  much  confidence  in  the  spirit  and  zeal  of  the  As- 
sociated Troops  of  Pennsylvania,  that  I  cannot  persuade  myself  an  impatience  to 
return  home,  or  a  less  honorable  motive  will  defeat  my  well  grounded  expecta- 
tions." This  strong  appeal,  and  the  example  given  by  that  stanch  German- 
American  Christopher  Ludwig,  for  a  time  quieted  the  disaffected  men. 


"  Thou,  Washington,  art  all  the  world's,  the  Continents  entire  —  not  yours  alone,  America; 
Europe's  as  well,  in  every  part,  castle  of  lord  or  laborer's  cot, 
Or  frozen  North,  or  sultry  South — the  Arab's  in  his  tent — the  African's ; 
Old  Asia's  there  with  venerable  smile,  seated  amid  her  ruins ; 

Greets  the  antique  the  hero  new  'tis  but  the  same — the  heir  legitimate  continued  ever, 
The  indomitable  heart  and  arm — proofs  of  the  never-broken  line. 

Wherever  Freedom,  poised  by  Toleration,  swayed  by  Law, 

Stands,  or  is  rising  thy  true  monument."  Walt  Whitman  (New  Jersey). 

AUGUST  NINTH. 

1780  The  army  arrived  at  Tappan,  or  Orangetown,  as  the  little  village,  des- 
tined to  be  so  widely  known,  was  then  called.  The  General  occupied  the  De  Wint 
House,  a  quaint  old  Dutch  homestead,  still  standing.  To  Mrs.  Esther  Reed,  he 
expressed  a  fear  that  the  "  two  hard  dollars  which  was  sent  to  soldiers  wrapped 
in  each  shirt,  would  produce  discontent,  as,  they  had  only  depreciated  paper 
money  for  their  pay." 

1791  To  General  William  Moultrie,  of  Charleston,  President  Washington 
wrote :  "  My  health  may  be  ultimately  improved  by  my  tour  through  the  South- 
ern states,  my  happiness  has  certainly  been  promoted  by  the  excursion,  and  cer- 
tainly nowhere  in  a  greater  degree  than  while  a  resident  among  my  fellow  citi- 
zens of  South  Carolina." 

1795  The  President  started  to  the  seat  of  government,  his  visit  to  Mount 
Vernon  being  interrupted  by  the  excitement  arising  from  the  Jay  Treaty  with 
Great  Britain.  This  was  the  first  fight  of  magnitude  upon  a  constitutional  ques- 
tion, and  upon  arriving  in  Philadelphia  Washington  found  addresses,  messages, 
and  protests  against  the  Treaty  awaiting  his  consideration  j  but  notwithstanding 
this  opposition,  he  approved  of  it  on  the  18th. 


"  Washington  did  the  two  greatest  things  which  in  politics  it  is  permitted  man  to  attempt. 
He  maintained  by  peace  the  independence  of  his  country  which  he  conquered  by  war.  He 
founded  a  free  government  in  the  name  of  the  principles  of  order  and  by  re-establishing  their 
sway.  ...  He  deserved  and  enjoyed  both  success  and  repose.  Of  all  great  men  he  was  the 
most  virtuous  and  most  fortunate.     In  this  world  God  has  no  higher  favor  to  bestow." 

Guizot  (France). 


118  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


AUGUST  TENTH. 


1777  The  Commander-in-chief  notified  Congress :  "  I  have  thought  it  advis- 
able to  remove  the  army  back  to  CoryelPs  where  it  will  be  near  enough  to  succor 
Philadelphia,  and  will  be  so  much  more  conveniently  situated  to  proceed  to  the 
Northward."  General  Lafayette,  on  the  8th,  witnessed  for  the  first  time  a  re- 
view of  the  Continental  army.  He  said :  "  Despite  the  disadvantages  the  soldiers 
were  fine,  and  the  officers  zealous ;  virtue  stood  in  place  of  science,  and  each  day 
added  both  to  experience  and  discipline." 

1789  President  Washington  sent  his  thanks  through  Messrs.  Watson  and 
Cassoul  to  a  sisterhood  at  Nantes  for  an  elegant  masonic  apron  which  the  nuns 
had  transmitted  through  these  merchants.  It  was  exquisitely  embroidered  with 
French  and  American  flags  intertwining  fraternal  emblems.  He  admired  "  its 
superior  expressive  style,"  and  to  the  gentlemen  wrote :  u  For  your  affectionate 
vows,  permit  me  to  be  grateful,  and  offer  mine  for  true  brothers  in  all  parts  of 
the  world." 

1794  The  President  had  on  the  7th  issued  a  proclamation  to  the  insurgents 
in  western  Pennsylvania  who  organized  the  Whisky  Rebellion,  warning  them 
"  to  desist  from  their  opposition -to  the  Laws."  To-day  he  said  in  regard  to  this 
rebellion  :  "  If  a  minority  is  to  dictate  to  the  majority  there  is  an  end  put  at  one 
stroke  to  republican  government." 


"  That  great  man  of  yours,  George,  was  a  monstrous  bore;  George  was  Oliver  [Cromwell] 
with  all  the  juice  squeezed  out."  Carlyle  {Scotland). 

AUGUST  ELEVENTH. 

1780  The  Commander-in-chief  notified  General  Arnold  of  his  decision  to  for- 
tify Dobbs  Ferry,  and  said :  "  That  we  may  be  enabled  to  finish  them  in  the  most 
expeditious  manner,  you  will  be  pleased  to  order  sixty  of  Colonel  Baldwin's  Ar- 
tificers to  come  immediately  down  here." 

1782  Sir  Guy  Carleton  advised  Washington  that  negotiations  for  peace  had 
begun  in  Paris.  The  first  condition  was  that  the  "  Independency  of  the  Thirteen 
Colonies  would  be  assured."  Washington  wrote  from  Newburg  to  the  Secretary 
of  War :  "  Having  been  informed  that  Major-General  Gates  is  in  Philadelphia, 
and  being  now  about  to  make  my  ultimate  arrangements  for  the  campaign  I  take 
the  liberty  to  request,  whether  he  wished  to  be  employed  in  this  army  or  not."  The 
General  ordered  a  service  stripe  to  be  worn  on  the  arm,  the  same  color  as  the 
soldiers'  corps,  and  an  additional  stripe  for  each  succeeding  year  of  service. 

1790  President  Washington,  in  a  letter  from  New  York,  thanked  Lafayette 
for  the  key  of  the  Bastile,  and  congratulated  him  upon  the  fortitude  and  address 
with  which  he  had  steered  himself  through  the  rocks  and  quicksands  of  the 
French  Revolution.  In  a  postscript  he  added :  "  Not  for  the  value  of  the  thing,  my 
dear  Marquis,  but  as  a  memorial  and  because  they  are  the  manufacture  of  this 
city,  I  send  you  a  pair  of  shoe  buckles." 


"  Future  generations  will  bathe  in  the  light  of  his  influence  and  not  only  will  their  praises 
hail  him  the  first  of  men,  but  they  will  also  rank  him  among  the  mightiest  of  Captains." 

John  Griffin,  University  of  Virginia. 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  119 

AUGUST  TWELFTH. 

1776  General  Washington  ordered  all  badges  of  distinction  on  soldiers  and 
non-commissioned  officers  to  be  removed,  and  thereafter  bestowed  only  where 
the  term  of  service  had  been  uninterrupted  and  the  record  unspotted.  -  Wash- 
ington wrote  from  New  York  to  the  president  of  Congress:  "The  enemy  have 
made  no  movements  of  consequence.  They  have  not  been  joined  by  the  re- 
mainder of  the  fleet  with  the  Hessian  troops.  The  Convention  of  this  State  have 
been  exerting  themselves  to  call  forth  a  portion  of  their  militia."  The  conven- 
tion ordered  u  that  each  man,  who  shall  not  have  arms,  shall  bring  with  him  a 
shovel,  spade,  pick-ax,  or  a  scythe  straightened  and  fixed  on  a  pole." 

1783  When  Congress  called  Washington  to  Princeton,  he  wrote  Governor 
Clinton :  "As  this  will  remove  me  to  a  distance,  and  may  for  a  considerable  time 
separate  us  and  prevent  frequent  interviews ;  I  should  be  much  obliged  to  you  for 
intimating  to  me,  before  I  go,  what  will  be  necessary  for  me  to  do  respecting  our 
purchase  of  the  Saratoga  Springs." 

1786  Major  Duplessis,  en  route  for  Georgia,  stopped  for  a  visit  of  a  few  days 
at  Mount  Vernon.  This  French  officer,  whom  General  Washington  early  in  the 
war  had  commended  to  Congress  for  gallantry  in  the  field,  was  all  the  more  wel- 
come, bearing,  as  he  did,  letters  from  Lafayette. 


"High  over  all  whom  mignt  or  mind  made  "Yet  with  a  will  to  meet  and  master  Fate, 
great,  And  skill  to  rule  a  young  divided  State, 

Yielding  the  conqueror's  crown  to  harder      Greater  by  what  was  not  than  what  was  done, 
hearts,  Alone  on  history's  height  stands  Washington." 

Exalted  not  by  politicians'  arts,  Richard  Grant  White  (New  York). 

AUGUST  THIRTEENTH. 

1756  Colonel  Washington  from  the  frontier  wrote  Governor  Dinwiddie :  "If 
war  is  to  be  declared  at  this  place,  I  should  be  glad  if  your  Honor  would  direct 
the  manner.  I  know  there  is  ceremony  required,  but  the  order  I  am  ignorant 
of."  The  Governor  replied :  "  The  method,  that  you  are  to  declare  war,  is  at  the 
head  of  your  companies,  with  three  volleys  of  small  arms,  for  his  Majesty's 
health,  and  a  successful  war." 

1775  The  Commander-in-chief  made  a  most  diplomatic  but  unsuccessful  re- 
monstrance to  General  Gage  on  his  treatment  of  prisoners.  That  Gage  sent  home 
this  letter  of  "  Mr.  Washington's,"  and  it  was  printed  in  the  "  Universal  Magazine  " 
of  London  for  September,  giving  publicity  to  the  fact  that  there  was  an  occa- 
sion for  such  a  letter,  is  pronounced  an  egregious  error  of  the  British  commander. 
John  Hancock,  Samuel  Adams,  and  John  Adams,  "  The  Massachusetts  Delega- 
tion," delivered  at  Cambridge  the  five  hundred  thousand  dollars  sent  by  Con- 
gress to  Washington  for  the  prosecution  of  the  war. 

1790  President  Washington  after  the  adjournment  of  Congress  made  a  voy- 
age in  his  own  barge  to  Newport  for  his  health,  which  had  suffered  greatly  from 
the  demands  of  his  office.  At  this  time  there  was  considerable  anxiety  felt  in 
regard  to  his  condition. 

"His  sword  thirsted  not  for  blood.  His  arm  was  not  lifted  np  for  conquest.  While  he 
fought  for  the  defence  of  all  you  hold  most  dear  the  havoc  necessary  for  attaining  success  he 
deplored.  Amid  the  din  of  arms  the  carnage  and  the  hottest  rage  of  battle  he  listened  to  the 
still  small  voice  of  humanity  in  his  breast."  John  B.  Johnston,  D.  D.  (New  York,  1800). 


120  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


AUGUST  FOURTEENTH. 


1755  Governor  Dinwiddie  appointed  Colonel  Washington  commander  of  the 
Virginia  troops,  and  the  House  of  Burgesses  voted  him  three  hundred  pounds  as 
"  a  reward  and  compensation,  for  gallant  behavior  and  losses  n  at  the  Battle  of 
Monongahela.  Washington  wrote  his  mother:  "If  it  is  in  my  power  to  avoid 
going  to  the  Ohio  again  I  shall  ;  but  if  the  command  is  pressed  upon  me  by  the 
general  voice  of  the  country,  and  offered  upon  such  terms  as  cannot  be  objected 
against,  it  would  reflect  dishonor  upon  me  to  refuse  it,  and  that  I  am  sure  must 
or  ought  to  give  you  greater  uneasiness  than  my  going  in  honorable  command  j 
for  upon  no  other  terms  will  I  accept  it." 

1776  Upon  the  arrival  of  the  British  at  New  York,  Washington  addressed 
his  troops,  saying,  "  We  must  resolve  to  conquer  or  die :  with  this  resolution,  and 
the  blessing  of  Heaven,  Victory,  and  Success,  certainly  will  attend  us.  There 
will  then  be  a  glorious  issue  to  this  Campaign,  and  the  General  will  reward  his 
brave  Fellow  Soldiers  with  every  Indulgence  in  his  power." 

1781  The  failure  of  the  governors  of  the  States  to  furnish  the  troops,  and  the 
disinclination  of  Admiral  de  Grasse  to  force  the  harbor  of  New  York,  compelled 
Washington  to  give  up  the  attack  on  that  city.  In  council  with  Rochambeau  at 
Dobbs  Ferry,  it  was  determined  to  march  both  armies  to  the  head  of  the  Elk  to 
be  transported  to  Virginia  for  the  purpose  of  attacking  Cornwallis. 


"  Washington  had  wisdom  adequate  for  every  occasion,  strength  of  character  to  guide  a  revo- 
lution and  to  stop  a  counter-revolution  which  would  have  made  him  king.  He  had  wisdom  to  rule 
a  new-born  democracy  as  its  guardian  amid  the  seductions  of  European  monarchies,  and  to  resign 
to  a  new  republic  its  rightful  throne."  Levi  Parsons  Morton  ( Vermont). 

AUGUST  FIFTEENTH. 

1774  Colonel  Washington  superintended  at  Belvoir  a  sale  of  the  personal 
effects  of  his  intimate  friend  George  William  Fairfax,  then  living  in  England. 
Among  his  purchases  was  "a  large  Marble  Mortar,"  afterward  used  (October, 
1785)  by  Houdon  in  preparing  the  plaster  of  Paris  for  the  cast  he  made  of  Wash- 
ington for  the  Richmond  statue. 

1775  General  Washington  at  Cambridge,  in  utmost  perplexity  about  powder, 
wrote  to  Elias  Boudinot :  "I  have  only  eight  rounds  to  a  man  although  I  have 
near  fourteen  Miles  of  Line  to  guard,  and  I  dare  not  fire  an  Evening  or  Morning 
gun.  In  this  situation  one  of  the  Committee  of  Safety  from  Massachusetts,  who 
was  privy  to  the  whole  secret  deserted  and  went  over  to  General  Gage,  and  dis- 
covered our  poverty  to  him.  The  fact  was  so  incredible  that  General  Gage 
treated  it  as  a  strategem  of  war,  and  the  informant  as  a  spy." 

1777  The  Commander-in-chief  from  Neshaming  Camp,  Bucks  County  Penn- 
sylvania, wrote  to  General  Putnam :  "  The  people  in  the  Northern  army  seem 
so  intimidated  by  the  Indians  that  I  have  determined  to  send  up  Col.  Morgan's 
corps  of  riflemen,  who  will  fight  them  in  their  own  way.  They  will  march  from 
Trenton  to-morrow  morning." 


"Of  all  the  American  Statesmen  of  his  time  George  Washington  most  fully  and  accurately- 
appreciated  the  Military  need  of  his  country,  viz.,  that  of  a  military  force  on  land  and  sea,  so 
thoroughly  disciplined  as  to  be  strictly  obedient  to  the  national  will,  and  of  sufficient  strength 
to  execute  that  will."  John  M.  Schofield,  Major-General  V.  S.  A. 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  121 

AUGUST  SIXTEENTH. 

1779  In  inviting  Dr.  Cochran,  director- general  of  the  Military  Hospital,  his 
wife  and  his  mother-in-law,  Mrs.  Livingston,  to  dine  at  West  Point,  Washington 
wrote  :  "  When  the  cook  has  a  mind  to  cut  a  figure,  (which  I  presume  will  be  the 
case  tomorrow,)  we  have  two  Beefsteak  pies,  or  dishes  of  crabs,  in  addition,  one 
on  each  side  the  centre  dish,  dividing  and  reducing  the  distance  between  dish  & 
dish  to  about  the  space  of  six  feet ;  which  without  them  would  be  nearly  twelve 
feet  apart.  Of  late  he  has  had  the  surprising  sagacity  to  discover  that  apples 
will  make  pies ;  and  it  is  a  question,  if  in  the  violence  of  his  efforts,  we  do  not 
get  one  of  apples  instead  of  having  both  of  Beef  steaks.'' 

1783  General  Washington  received  from  Chevalier  Juan  de  Heintz  a  com- 
munication addressed  to  Congress  proposing  that  that  body  should  select  a  number 
of  suitable  persons  in  America  to  receive  "  The  Order  of  Divine  Providence,"  an 
ancient  Polish  order  of  knighthood.  This  document  Washington  promptly  trans- 
mitted to  Congress.  In  the  following  January,  being  then  a  private  citizen, 
Washington  wrote  a  most  gracious  reply,  endeavoring  to  explain  that  it  would  illy 
harmonize  with  our  repubncan  institutions  to  accept  monarchical  titles. 


"  Washington  discerned  as  if  by  intuition  every  element  and  every  condition  of  the  body 
politic.  He  contemplated  its  healthful  action  and  the  means  of  its  continuance; — its  diseased 
action  and  prescribed  the  appropriate  remedies.  His  eye  ran  along  the  distant  future  and  his 
pen  with  unerring  certainty  recorded  what  was  to  be,  and  worked  out  for  the  embryo  nation  its 
path  to  a  glorious  destiny."  William  Buell  Sprague,  D.  D.  (New  York). 

AUGUST   SEVENTEENTH. 

1755  Rev.  Samuel  Davies,  afterward  president  of  Princeton  College,  preached 
a  sermon  to  a  Virginia  regiment  in  Hanover  County,  upon  "  Religion  and  Patriot- 
ism the  Constituants  of  a  Good  Soldier ."  He  prophetically  said :  "Asa  remark- 
able instance  of  this  I  may  point  out  to  the  public  that  heroic  youth,  Colonel 
Washington,  whom  I  can  but  hope  Providence  has  hitherto  preserved  in  so  sig- 
nal a  manner  for  some  important  service  to  his  country." 

1790  As  the  President  entered  the  harbor  at  Newport,  salutes  were  fired, 
and  on  landing  he  was  escorted  through  the  streets  by  the  clergy  and  prominent 
citizens.  At  the  State  House  a  dinner  of  eighty  covers  was  given  him  ;  among 
the  toasts  was  "  May  the  last  be  first,"  in  allusion  to  Rhode  Island  being  the  last 
State  to  ratify  the  Constitution. 

1799  General  Washington  wrote  his  nephew  Robert  Lewis  in  regard  to 
slavery :  "  To  sell  the  overplus  I  cannot  because  I  am  prejudiced  against  this 
kind  of  traffic  in  the  human  species ;  to  hire  them  out  is  almost  as  bad,  because 
they  can  not  be  disposed  of  in  families  to  any  advantage  and  to  divide  families  I 
have  an  aversion." 


"  Great  without  pomp,  without  ambition  brave,     "  Who  plan  their  greatness  on  their  Brethren's 
Proud  not  to  conquer  fellowmen  but  save  ;  woes, 

Friend  to  the  wretched,  Foe  to  none  but       And  by  no  titles,  faithless  to  no  trust, 
those  Free  from  faction,  obstinately  just." 

Charles  Henry  Wharton,  D.  D.  (Maryland). 


122  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

AUGUST  EIGHTEENTH. 

1769  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Washington,  with  children  and  servants,  were  at 
Warm  Springs,  Virginia,  with  the  special  hope  of  improving  the  health  of  Patsey 
Custis.  Washington  wrote :  "  Some  confident  reports  of  Indian  disturbances  at 
Fort  Pitt,  drove  many  families  in  from  Redstone,  and  gave  some  alarm  to  the 
female  visitors  of  these  waters." 

1782  "The  General  has  the  pleasure  to  inform  the  army  of  the  total  re- 
covery of  the  State  of  Georgia  from  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  On  the  11th  of 
July  the  British  evacuated  Savannah  leaving  the  town  and  works  uninjured. 
Brigadier  General  Wayne  appears  to  have  merited  great  applause  by  his  conduct 
there."     Orderly  Boole  (Newburg). 

1783  General  Washington  left  Newburg,  having  the  day  before  issued  this 
his  last  order  from  that  place :  "  The  Commander-in-chief  having  been  requested 
by  Congress  to  give  his  attendance  at  Princeton,  proposes  to  set  out  for  that 
place  tomorrow ;  but  he  expects  to  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  army  again 
before  he  retires  to  private  life.  During  his  absence  Major  General  Knox  will 
retain  command  of  the  troops,  and  all  reports  are  to  be  made  to  him  accordingly." 


"  While  patriots  shall  not  cease  to  applaud  the  sacred  attachments  which  you  have  con- 
stantly manifested  to  the  rights  of  citizens,  too  often  violated  by  men  in  arms,  your  military 
virtues  and  achievements  will  be  deeply  recorded  in  the  breasts  of  your  countrymen  and  their 
posterity,  and  note  the  brightest  pages  in  the  history  of  mankind." 

Massachusetts  Legislature  (1783). 

AUGUST  UTNETEEITTH. 

1781  The  American  and  French  troops  were  ordered  under  arms  and  the 
impression  given  out  that  an  attack  on  Philadelphia  was  contemplated,  scouts 
going  forward  to  open  the  roads  "  to  misguide  and  bewilder  Sir  Henry  Clinton  "  j 
but  the  armies  turned  toward  Kings  Ferry,  beginning  their  march  to  Yorktown. 
Washington  and  suite  left  the  army  at  this  point,  proceeding  rapidly  toward 
Virginia. 

1790  At  Providence  the  President  received  the  addresses  of  the  Society  of 
the  Cincinnati,  the  Rhode  Island  Colleges,  and  dined  with  200  gentlemen  at  the 
Town  Hall.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  President's  toast,  "  The  town  of  Provi- 
dence/' the  company  with  a  crowd  of  citizens  walked  with  him  to  the  wharf, 
where  he  and  his  suite  embarked  for  New  York. 

1795  The  President  placed  in  the  hands  of  Edmund  Randolph,  Secretary 
of  State,  a  despatch  indicating  that  secretary's  sympathy  with  France.  This 
despatch  was  from  Fauchet,  the  French  minister,  to  his  Government,  and  was 
found  on  a  French  corvette  captured  by  the  British,  and  was  delivered  by  the 
English  minister,  Mr.  Hammond,  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  for  the  infor- 
mation of  the  Executive.  Upon  reading  it  Mr.  Randolph  immediately  offered 
his  resignation,  which  was  promptly  accepted. 


"I  have  always  admired  your  great  virtues  and  qualities,  your  disinterested  patriotism,  your 
unshaken  courage  and  simplicity  of  manner,  qualifications  by  which  you  surpass  men  even  the 
most  celebrated  of  antiquity."  Count  Herzburg  (Prussia). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  123 

AUGUST  TWENTIETH. 

1775  General  Washington  again  remonstrated  with  General  Gage,  npon 
"  unworthy  treatment  shown  officers  and  citizens  of  America,  whom  the  fortunes 
of  war,  chance,  or  a  mistaken  confidence  has  thrown  into  your  hands.  You 
affect,  Sir,  to  despise  all  rank  not  derived  from  the  same  source  with  your  own. 
I  cannot  conceive  one  more  honorable,  than  that  which  flows  from  the  uncor- 
rupted  choice  of  a  brave  and  free  people,  the  present  source  and  original  fountain 
of  all  power.  Far  from  making  it  a  plea  for  cruelty,  a  mind  of  true  magnanimity 
and  enlarged  ideas  would  comprehend  and  respect  it." 

1778  Washington  wrote  from  White  Plains  to  General  Nelson :  "  It  is  not 
a  little  pleasing,  nor  less  wonderful  to  contemplate,  that  after  two  years  man- 
oeuvering  and  undergoing  the  strangest  vicissitudes,  that  perhaps  ever  attended 
any  one  contest  since  the  creation,  both  armies  are  brought  back  to  the  very 
point  they  set  out  from,  and  that  which  was  the  offending  party  in  the  beginning, 
is  now  reduced  to  the  use  of  the  spade  and  pickaxe  for  defense.  The  hand  of 
Providence  has  been  so  conspicuous  in  all  this,  that  he  must  be  worse  than  an 
infidel,  who  lacks  faith,  and  more  than  wicked  that  has  not  gratitude  enough  to 
acknowledge  his  obligations." 


"  His  deportment  was  invariably  grave  ;  it  was  sobriety  that  stopped  short  of  sadness.  His 
presence  inspired  a  veneration  and  a  feeling  of  awe,  rarely  experienced  in  the  presence  of  any 
man.     His  mode  of  speaking  was  slow  and  deliberate,  not  as  though  he  was  in  search  of  fine 


AUGUST  TWENTY-FIRST. 

1777  Upon  receipt  of  intelligence  of  the  arrival  of  the  enemy  in  Chesapeake 
Bay,  Congress  ordered  the  immediate  removal  of  the  stores  and  prisoners  from 
Lancaster  and  York  to  places  of  greater  safety,  and  directed  Washington  "  to 
proceed  in  such  manner  as  shall  appear  to  him  conducive  to  the  general  interest." 

1781  General  Washington  at  Treason  House,  Kings  Ferry  (as  the  residence 
of  Joshua  Hett  Smith,  where  Andre  and  Arnold  plotted  the  delivery  of  West 
Point,  was  called),  demanded  of  the  officers  commanding  His  Britannic  Majesty's 
ships  at  New  York,  that  the  commissioners  of  prisons  be  allowed  to  visit  the 
prison  ships  in  the  harbor,  and  that  "  a  bare  denial,  of  what  has  been  asserted 
by  so  many  individuals  who  have  unfortunately  experienced  the  statements,  will 
not  be  satisfactory." 

1787  From  Philadelphia,  Washington  wrote  General  Knox :  "  By  slow,  I 
wish  I  could  add  sure  movements,  the  business  of  the  convention  advances.  I 
wish  a  disposition  may  be  found  in  Congress,  the  state  legislatures,  and  the  com- 
munity at  large,  to  adopt  the  government,  which  may  be  agreed  on  in  conven- 
tion, because  I  am  fully  persuaded  it  is  the  best  that  can  be  obtained  at  the 
present  moment  under  such  a  diversity  of  ideas  as  prevail." 


"  Our  people  must  be  taught  to  hold  the  memory  of  Washington  as  the  palladium  of  political 
virtue,  as  they  hold  the  Constitution  the  palladium  of  our  political  existence." 

Noah  Hunt  Schenck,  D.  D.  (New  Jersey). 


124  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


AUGUST  TWENTY-SECOND. 


1777  In  council  of  war  the  day  previous  (at  which  Lafayette  was  present  for 
the  first  time),  it  had  been  determined  to  march  to  the  North  River,  but  receiv- 
ing from  Congress  the  information  of  the  arrival  of  the  British,  Washington 
ordered  the  troops  "  to  move  towards  Philadelphia  and  onwards.77  The  brilliant 
success  of  General  Stark  at  Bennington  was  thus  announced :  "  The  Commander- 
in-chief  informs  the  army  of  the  signal  victory  obtained  to  the  Northward.  .  .  . 
Our  troops  behaved  in  a  very  brave  and  heroic  manner.77 

1784  Lafayette,  who  had  arrived  on  the  seventeenth,  was  happy  in  a  quiet 
visit  at  Mount  Vernon.  His  voyage  from  Europe  of  thirty-four  days,  and  his 
receptions  at  New  York  and  Philadelphia,  had  so  fatigued  him  that  his  visit  to 
Washington  was  one  of  rest  as  well  as  pleasure. 

1795  President  Washington's  secretary  and  friend,  Tobias  Lear,  was  married 
to  Fanny  Bassett  Washington,  widow  of  George  Augustine  Washington.  This 
"  dear  Fanny,77  a  niece  of  Mrs.  Washington,  had  frequently  been  an  inmate  of  the 
President's  family  before  her  first  marriage,  and  was  married  at  Mount  Vernon 
in  1785 ;  she  was  a  comfort,  and  much  depended  upon  in  the  household. 


"In  whatever  light  we  view  the  character  of  this  truly  great  man  we  are  struck  with  the 
fresh  cause  for  esteem  and  admiration  we  every  moment  discover.  New  and  shining  traits  of 
humility, — of  wisdom  and  disinterested  heroism."  William  P.  Carey  (Ireland). 

AUGUST  TWENTY-THIRD. 

1776  General  Washington  notified  Congress  that  nine  thousand  British  had 
landed  at  Gravesend  Bay,  and  were  within  three  miles  of  his  lines.  In  his  order 
he  made  this  stirring  appeal  to  the  army :  "  The  Enemy  have  now  landed  on 
Long  Island,  and  the  hour  is  fast  approaching,  on  which  the  Honor  and  Success 
of  the  Army  and  the  Safety  of  our  Bleeding  Country  will  depend.  Remember, 
officers  and  soldiers,  that  you  are  free  men  fighting  for  the  blessings  of  Liberty ; 
that  Slavery  will  be  your  portion  and  that  of  your  posterity,  if  you  do  not  acquit 
yourselves  like  men.  Remember  how  your  Courage  and  Spirit  have  been  de- 
spised and  traduced  by  your  cruel  invaders.  Be  cool  but  determined,  do  not  fire 
at  a  distance,  but  wait  for  orders  from  your  officers." 

1779  The  Commander-in-chief  inclosed  to  the  president  of  Congress  Major 
Henry  Lee's  report  of  the  surprise  and  capture  on  the  nineteenth  of  the  garri- 
son of  Paulus  Hook  (Jersey  City).  In  communicating  this  intelligence  the  Gen- 
eral with  pride  said  of  his  old  friend :  "  The  Major  displayed  a  remarkable  degree 
of  prudence,  address,  enterprise,  and  bravery,  upon  this  occasion,  which  does  the 
highest  honor  to  himself  and  to  all  the  officers  and  men  under  his  command. 
The  situation  of  the  post  rendered  the  attempt  critical  and  the  success  brilliant." 


"By  unanimous  consent,  Washington  was  declared  the  saviour  of  his  country.  All  pro- 
claimed him  equal  to  the  most  renowned  commanders  of  Antiquity,  especially  distinguished  him 
by  the  name  of  the  American  Fabius.  His  name  was  in  the  mouths  of  all ;  he  was  celebrated  by 
the  pens  of  the  most  distinguished  writers."  Carlo  Botta  (Italy). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  125 

AUGUST  TWENTY-FOURTH. 

1777  General  Washington,  at  the  head  of  ten  thousand  troops,  three  divi- 
sions of  the  army  under  Generals  Sullivan,  Greene,  and  Shirley,  marched  in  single 
column  through  Philadelphia,  crossing  the  Schuykill  at  Middle  Ferry,  Market 
Street,  en  route  to  Wilmington,  Del.  The  following  day  he  established  head- 
quarters on  Quaker  Hill,  in  that  city.  Thousands  of  patriots  greeted  the  troops 
as  they  passed  through  the  "  City  of  Brotherly  Love." 

1780  The  Commander-in-chief  from  his  headquarters,  u  Liberty  Pole  Tav- 
ern," Teaneck,  N.  J.,  gave  the  following  order  to  General  Greene :  "  Take  the 
command  of  the  Light  Infantry  and  four  brigades  from  your  own  wing,  to  be 
employed  on  a  forage  down  to  Bergen,  and  from  thence  up  to  the  English 
neighborhood." 

1795  President  Washington  offered  the  portfolio  of  state,  vice  Edmund  Ran- 
dolph resigned,  to  Charles  Cotesworth  Pinckney,  saying,  u  An  office  of  such  dig- 
nity and  high  importance  ought  not  to  be  without  a  head  at  such  a  crisis  as  this 
a  moment."  He  had  already  tendered  it  to  that  "  valuable  man/7  Thomas  John- 
son of  Maryland. 


"The  work  left  undone  by  Washington  was  finished  by  Lincoln.  Kindred  in  service,  kin- 
dred in  patriotism,  each  is  surrounded  in  death  by  kindred  homage.  One  sleeps  in  the  East, 
the  other  in  the  West ;  and  thus  in  death  as  in  life,  one  is  the  complement  of  the  other.  ... 
Washington  was  the  natural  representative  of  National  Independence.  He  might  also  have  rep- 
resented National  Unity  had  this  principle  been  challenged  to  bloody  battle  during  his  life,  for 
nothing  was  nearer  his  heart  than  the  consolidation  of  our  Union." 

Charles  Sumner  (Massachusetts). 

AUGUST  TWENTY-FIFTH. 

1781  At  Kings  Ferry  the  Commander-in-chief  for  five  days  had  watched  the 
allied  armies  cross  the  Hudson.  He  was  most  hopeful  at  the  prospect  of  the 
reunion  with  Count  de  Grasse,  and  confident  of  capturing  Lord  Cornwallis  and 
his  army.  He  wrote  the  Count :  "  From  the  progress  already  made  in  our  march 
towards  the  Chesapeake  it  is  estimated  that  the  troops  may  arrive  at  the  Head 
of  Elk  by  the  8th  of  September."  This  crossing  was  conceded  to  be  the  most 
brilliant  spectacle  of  the  War  of  the  Revolution. 

1783  General  and  Mrs.  Washington  with  his  military  family  reached  Rocky 
Hill,  the  headquarters  provided  and  furnished  by  Congress,  four  miles  from 
Princeton.    This  house,  the  last  headquarters  of  the  Revolution,  is  still  standing. 

1789  Mary  Washington,  mother  of  George  Washington,  died  at  her  home, 
Fredericksburg,  Va.,  of  cancer  of  the  breast,  in  the  eighty-third  year  of  her  age, 
having  been  a  widow  forty-six  years.  This  strong,  dignified,  estimable  woman, 
made  immortal  through  an  immortal  son,  was  in  every  particular  worthy  of  the 
respect,  even  the  reverence,  with  which  her  name  is  cherished.  Lafayette  wrote 
of  her :  "  Never  have  I  felt  such  veneration." 


"  But,  Good  Sirs,  here  is  too  much  flattery ;  still  George  will  not  forget  the  lessons  I  early 
taught  him.    He  will  not  forget  himself,  though  he  is  the  subject  of  so  much  praise." 

Mary  Washington  (Virginia). 


126  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


AUGUST  TWENTY-SIXTH. 


1775  The  Continentals  under  fire  from  Bunker  Hill  took  possession  of 
Plowed  Hill,  Mount  Benedict,  an  elevation  considerably  in  advance  of  their  lines, 
and  rapidly  pushed  the  work  of  fortification.  Washington  informed  Congress 
"  the  enemy  kept  up  the  fire  with  little  spirit  on  their  part,  or  damage  on  ours." 

1783  General  Washington  was  received  this  day  by  Congress  at  Prince- 
ton, N.  J.,  with  every  mark  of  distinction.  The  order  of  July  28th  reads,  "  The 
motive  in  bringing  you  was  to  get  your  assistance  and  advice  in  the  arrange- 
ments for  peace.  It  may  be  necessary  to  consult  you  on  a  variety  of  military 
subjects.  Your  being  near  Congress  will  be  a  public  good."  At  twelve  o'clock 
he  was  escorted  to  the  hall,  and  listened  to  an  address  of  welcome  from  Presi- 
dent Elias  Boudinot,  who  said :  "  Congress  feel  particular  pleasure  in  seeing 
your  Excellency,  and  in  congratulating  you  on  the  success  of  a  war,  in  which  you 
have  acted  so  conspicuous  a  part.  In  other  nations  men  have  performed  ser- 
vices, for  which  they  have  deserved  and  received  the  thanks  of  the  public.  But 
to  you,  sir,  peculiar  praise  is  due.  Your  services  have  been  essential  in  ac- 
quiring and  establishing  the  freedom  and  independence  of  your  country.  They 
deserve  the  grateful  acknowledgment  of  a  free  and  independent  nation.  These 
acknowledgments,  Congress  have  the  satisfaction  of  expressing  to  your  ex- 
cellency." 


"  But  more  valuable  even  than  his  military  genius  was  that  unyielding  spirit  which  ani- 
mated Washington  himself,  and  with  which  he  inspired  both  the  Congress  and  the  people." 

Gentleman's  Magazine  (I^ndon). 

AUGUST  TWENTY-SEVENTH. 

1776  The  disastrous  Battle  of  Long  Island  was  fought  this  day.  There  was 
distressing  loss  in  the  gallant  Maryland  line.  Stirling's  division  was  cut  up, 
and  Stirling  and  Sullivan  were  made  prisoners.  So  great  did  the  British  esteem 
this  victory  that  General  Howe  was  promptly  knighted.  This  was  the  bloodiest 
field  of  the  Revolution,  but  the  Continentals  stood  firmly,  as  their  great  loss 
testifies. 

1777  General  Washington,  accompanied  by  Generals  Lafayette,  Greene,  and 
Weedon,  reconnoitered  the  previous  day  to  within  three  miles  of  the  Head  of 
Elk,  at  which  point  the  British  had  just  landed.  They  were  in  imminent  danger 
of  capture,  having  to  remain  all  night  at  a  farm-house,  in  consequence  of  a  ter- 
rible storm,  and  at  dawn  returned  to  Wilmington. 

1781  To  Robert  Morris,  Superintendent  of  Finance,  Washington  appealed  for 
funds,  Congress  having  failed  to  pay  the  troops.  He  said :  "  The  service  they  are 
going  on  is  disagreeable  to  the  Northern  regiments ;  but  I  make  no  doubt  that 
a  douceur  of  a  little  hard  money  would  put  them  in  proper  temper."  Morris 
upon  his  own  responsibility  borrowed  $30,000  ($20,000  from  Count  de  Rocham- 
beau),  making  the  attack  on  Yorktown  possible. 


"  The  publication  of  the  correspondence  of  Washington  is,  without  doubt,  the  noblest  mon- 
ument which  could  have  been  raised  to  his  glory.  In  it  is  truly  shown  this  great  character,  so 
original  in  his  simplicity.    Little  to  astonish,  few  special  characteristics,  but  a  striking  whole." 

Cornells  De  Witt  {France). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  127 

AUGUST  TWENTY-EIGHTH. 

1779  The  condition  of  the  army  is  shown  in  this  letter  from  Washington,  at 
West  Point,  to  Governor  Johnson  of  Maryland:  "It  is  really  in  many  instances 
painfully  distressing  j  the  necessaries  of  life  and  the  means  of  procuring  them 
has  compelled  many  officers  of  good  reputation  to  resign  their  Commissions." 

1780  Washington  wrote  to  the  president  of  Congress:  "The  intelligence 
brought  by  the  Alliance  of  the  French  troops  being  blocked  up  in  Brest,  by 
thirty  two  British  ships  of  the  line,  has  made  a  material  change  in  the  prospects 
of  the  campaign.  This,  and  the  extreme  distress  of  our  magazines,  have  deter- 
mined me  to  dismiss  all  the  militia  in  service,  except  such  part  as  was  wanted 
for  immediate  use." 

1781  The  Commander-in-chief  organized  "  a  Light  Division  v  of  choice  regi- 
ments under  General  Lincoln,  and  ordered  the  rear-guard,  which  made  a  feint 
on  New  York,  to  join  the  main  army  by  forced  march.  In  asking  for  militia  of 
Governor  Lee  of  Maryland,  he  said :  "  The  moment,  the  opportunity  is  precious, 
the  prospect  most  favorable,  I  hope  that  no  supineness,  or  waste  of  exertion  on 
our  own  part  may  prove  the  means  of  disappointment." 


11  The  similarity  between  his  public  virtues  and  those  of  Alfred  the  Great  is  admirable. 
These  extraordinary  men  were  both  celebrated  for  their  love  of  justice,  their  fortitude,  patriot- 
ism and  piety."  John  Corry  (Life  of  Washington,  1802). 

AUGUST  TWENTY-NINTH. 

1756  Colonel  Washington,  from  Winchester,  Va.,  wrote  Lord  Fairfax  to 
furnish  him  militia  to  repulse  the  Indians  on  the  frontier,  saying,  "It  is  with 
infinite  concern,  I  see  the  distresses  of  the  people,  and  hear  their  complaints, 
without  being  able  to  afford  them  relief.  The  Maryland  settlements  are  all 
abandoned  is  certainly  fact,  as  I  have  had  the  accounts  transmitted  to  me  by 
several  hands.  .  .  .  Three  hundred  and  fifty  wagons  had  passed  Monocacy  to 
avoid  the  enemy  within  the  space  of  three  days." 

1776  At  a  council  of  war  in  the  mansion  of  Philip  Livingston,  Brooklyn 
Heights,  it  was  decided  "to  give  up  Long  Island,  and  not  by  dividing  the  force, 
be  unable  to  resist  the  enemy  in  any  one  point  of  attack."  This  retreat  was  so 
well  conducted  that  it  called  forth  praise  from  European  commanders.  It  was 
said  that  in  the  dark  many  of  the  troops  did  not  realize  they  were  retreating 
until  they  reached  East  River.  The  suffering  from  extreme  heat  was  distress- 
ing, especially  to  the  wounded.  Washington  was  an  inspiration  to  such  brave 
men,  and  indefatigable  in  his  efforts  to  cheer  and  relieve  their  sufferings. 


"His  genius,  it  is  true,  was  of  a  peculiar  kind;  the  genius  of  character,  of  thought  and  the 
objects  of  thought  solidified  and  concentrated  into  active  faculty.  He  belongs  to  that  rare  class 
of  men,  rare  as  Homers  and  Miltons — rare  as  Platos  and  Newtons — who  have  impressed  their 
character  upon  nations  without  pampering  national  vices." 

Edwin  Percy  Whipple  (Massachusetts). 


128  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


AUGUST  THIRTIETH. 


1780  The  Commander-in-chief  addressed  a  protest  to  General  Haldimand,  in 
Quebec,  upon  learning  that  several  American  gentlemen  were  suffering  unjust 
imprisonment  in  that  city,  and  asked  that  they  might  be  transferred  to  New 
York. 

1781  General  Washington,  Rochambeau,  and  Chastellux,  with  their  suites, 
arrived  at  Philadelphia.  They  were  met  in  the  suburbs  by  the  City  Light 
Horse,  and  escorted  to  the  City  Tavern.  They  paid  their  respects  to  Congress, 
and  dined  at  the  house  of  Robert  Morris  with  the  president,  Hon.  Thomas 
M'Kean,  and  other  gentlemen  of  distinction.  Vessels  lying  in  port  fired  salutes 
when  the  different  toasts  were  drunk.  "  In  the  evening  the  city  was  illuminated, 
and  his  Excellency  walked  through  some  of  the  principal  streets,  attended  by  a 
numerous  concourse  of  people,  eagerly  pressing  to  see  their  beloved  General." 

1790  The  President,  having  returned  from  Newport  on  the  21st,  left  New 
York  for  Mount  Vernon,  to  remain  until  Congress  should  convene  in  December 
at  Philadelphia.    This  proved  to  be  his  final  leave-taking  of  New  York. 


"  The  universal  consent  of  mankind  accords  to  Washington  the  highest  place  among  the 
great  men  of  the  race.  He  has  no  peer  in  the  combination  of  absolute  disinterestedness,  sound 
judgment,  knowledge  of  the  character  of  his  country,  integrity,  prudence,  untiring  industry, 
patience,  self-command,  comprehension  of  things  in  their  largest  relations,  rapid  decision  in 
emergency,  dignity  and  grace  of  demeanor. n  George  Frisbie  Hoar  (Massachusetts). 

AUGUST  THIRTY-FIRST. 

1774  In  Washington's  diary  is  the  following:  "After  dinner  in  company 
with  Patrick  Henry  and  Mr.  Pendleton  started  to  attend  the  General  Congress 
at  Philadelphia."  In  summing  up  the  ability  of  that  Congress,  Patrick  Henry 
said :  "  If  you  speak  of  eloquence,  Mr.  Rutledge  of  South  Carolina  is  the  greatest 
orator;  but  if  you  speak  of  solid  information  and  sound  judgment,  Colonel 
Washington  is  by  far  the  greatest  man  on  the  floor." 

1776  From  headquarters,  New  York,  Washington  wrote  Congress  of  the 
disastrous  engagement  on  Long  Island,  explaining  that  he  had  not  sooner  written 
on  account  of  the  extreme  heat  and  exhaustion  caused  by  sleeplessness  and 
being  forty-eight  hours  in  the  saddle.  In  an  order  to  the  army,  he  said :  "  The 
General  hopes  the  several  officers,  both  superior  and  inferior,  will  now  exert 
themselves,  and  gloriously  determine  to  conquer,  or  die.  From  the  justice  of 
our  cause,  the  situation  of  the  harbor,  and  the  bravery  of  her  sons,  America  can 
only  expect  success.  Now  is  the  time  for  every  man  to  exert  himself,  and  make 
our  country  glorious,  or  it  will  become  contemptable." 

1791  The  following  is  found  in  the  records  of  Harvard  College :  "That  the 
thanks  of  this  corporation  be  given  to  Mr.  Edward  Savage  for  his  polite  and 
generous  attention  to  this  University,  in  painting  a  portrait  of  the  President  of 
the  United  States,  taken  by  him  from  the  life."  This  portrait  now  hangs  in  the 
Hall  of  Philosophy. 


"It  was  in  Washington  that  these  four  cardinal  virtues,  justice,  prudence,  temperance,  and 
fortitude,  formed  a  union  so  rare  and  complete."  James  Madison,  Bishop  of  Virginia. 


SEPTEMBER  FIRST. 

1753  On  the  eve  of  starting  npon  the  mission  to  Fort  le  Boeuf,  Major  Wash- 
ington, having  come  to  take  leave  of  his  mother,  attended  a  meeting  of  the  Ma- 
sonic Lodge  at  Fredericksburg,  Va.,  with  his  friend  Captain  Jacob  Van  Braam. 
It  was  this  foreign  officer,  or  as  he  was  called  "  Master  of  Fence/7  who  had  in- 
structed him  in  the  art  of  fencing. 

1758  Colonel  Washington  wrote  from  camp,  near  Fort  Cumberland,  to  John 
Robinson,  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Burgesses :  u  We  are  still  encamped  here, 
very  sickly,  and  quite  dispirited  at  the  prospect  before  us.  See  how  our  time 
has  been  misspent.  How  is  it  to  be  accounted  for  ?  I  wish  I  were  sent  imme- 
diately home,  as  an  aid  to  some  other  on  this  errand.  I  think,  without  vanity, 
I  could  set  the  conduct  of  this  expedition  in  its  true  colors,  having  taken  some 
pains,  perhaps  more  than  any  other  man,  to  dive  to  the  bottom  of  it." 

1775  This  entry  in  Washington's  account-book  shows  his  genius  for  detail : 
"  Sept.  1,  1775  To  paper,  sealing-wax  &  severals,  £6.  10.0.  To  cash  for  recover- 
ing my  Pistols  which  had  been  stolen  &  repairing  them  afterwards.    £1,  10,  0." 

1784  Washington  started  on  a  long  Western  journey,  accompanied  by  Dr. 
Craik.  They  traveled  seven  hundred  miles  during  five  weeks'  absence,  and  in- 
vestigated the  facilities  for  internal  navigation  afforded  by  the  rivers  which  have 
their  sources  among  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  and  they  inspected  the  lands 
where  Washington  had  large  possessions. 


"  Washington  when  he  took  his  seat  in  the  House  of  Burgesses  was  in  the  plenitude  of  his 
splendid  mental  and  physical  powers.  His  aspirations  and  conceptions  of  the  duties  of  the 
citizen  were  exalted  and  noble,  his  character  was  formed  and  recognized  as  eminent  by  the  fore- 
most men  of  the  day.  He  had  already  demonstrated  his  prowess  in  armes  and  his  capabilities 
as  a  leader  of  men  under  trying  circumstances  so  that  he  was  entitled  to  be  ranked  as  one  of 
the  most  promising  if  not  actually  the  most  conspicuous  character  in  the  colonies.  Truth  cou- 
rage and  manhood  the  central  pillars  in  the  temple  of  personal  rectitude  were  conspicuous  in 
him  from  his  youth ;  which  in  their  totality  we  call  character.  The  term  character  is  used  ad- 
visedly as  indicating  his  well-ballanced  faculties  resulting  from  the  harmonious  blending  of 
his  vigorous  physical  organization,  strong  mental  powers  culture  and  high  moral  concepts. 
Washington  more  justly  than  any  other  man  may  be  likened  to  a  circle  the  excellence  of  which 
depends  on  its  complete  roundness  not  on  its  magnitude." 

Joseph  Meredith  Toner,  M.  D.  {Maryland). 

9  129 


130  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


SEPTEMBER  SECOND. 


1775  The  Commander-in-chief  issued  to  Captain  Nicholson  Bonghton  of 
Marblehead,  Mass.,  the  first  naval  commission,  with  orders  to  "  take  command 
of  the  Schooner  Hannah,  and  cruise  about  such  vessels  as  may  be  found  on  the 
high  seas  bound  inward  or  outward  from  Boston  in  service  of  the  Ministerial 
Army."    Three  days  later  he  sailed  "  to  defy  the  proud  navy  of  England.'7 

1781  From  Philadelphia,  pushing  on  to  Yorktown,  Washington  wrote  to 
Lafayette :  "  Should  the  retreat  of  Lord  Cornwallis  by  water  be  cut  off  I  am  per- 
suaded you  will  do  all  in  your  power  to  prevent  his  escape  by  land.  May  that 
great  felicity  be  reserved  for  you." 

1787  General  Washington  in  Philadelphia  carefully  notes  his  examination 
of  an  invention :  "  Visited  a  machine  at  Doctor  Franklin's  (called  a  mangle)  for 
pressing,  in  place  of  Ironing  Clothes  from  the  wash,  which  machine  from  the 
facility  with  which  it  dispatches  business  is  well  calculated  for  Table  Cloths  & 
such  articles  as  have  not  pleats  &  irregular  foldings,  and  would  be  very  useful 
in  large  families." 


"  Your  name  alone,  sir,  has  established  in  Europe  a  confidence  that  for  some  time  before 
was  entirely  wanting  in  American  concerns.  This  is  more  glorious  for  you  than  all  the  laurels 
that  your  sword  so  nobly  wou  in  the  rights  of  human  nature.  In  war  your  name  is  immortal  as 
the  hero  of  liberty ;  in  peace  you  are  her  patron  and  the  firmest  supporter  of  her  rights." 

John  Paul  Jones,  U.  S.  Navy. 

SEPTEMBER  THIRD. 

1777  General  Washington  wrote  from  Wilmington  to  the  president  of  Con- 
gress :  "  This  morning  the  Enemy  came  out  with  a  considerable  force  and  three 
pieces  of  Artillery,  against  our  Light  advanced  corps,  and  after  some  pretty 
smart  skirmishing  obliged  them  to  retreat,  being  far  inferior  in  number  and 
without  cannon.  The  design  of  their  movement  seems  to  have  been  to  disperse 
our  Light  Troops,  who  had  been  troublesome  to  them,  and  to  gain  possession  of 
Iron  Hill,  to  establish  a  post  for  covering  their  retreat  in  case  of  accidents.7' 
Of  John  Cadwalader  of  Maryland,  Washington  said :  "  I  know  him  to  be  a  judi- 
cious, valuable  officer  and  I  have  often  regretted  that  he  did  not  hold  a  higher 
command  in  the  Army  of  the  United  States." 

1781  The  French  army  marched  through  Philadelphia,  and  at  the  State 
House  was  reviewed  by  the  president  of  Congress,  the  Commander-in-chief, 
Count  de  Rochambeau,  and  suites.  To  proclaim  the  superiority,  at  all  times  and 
under  all  circumstances,  of  the  civil  over  the  military,  President  McKean  stood 
with  head  covered,  while  the  generals  by  his  side  removed  their  chapeaus.  This 
well-drilled  and  perfectly  equipped  army  called  forth  universal  admiration,  and 
was  two  days  in  passing. 


Where  may  the  wearied  eye  repose 
When  gazing  on  the  great, 
Where  neither  guilty  glory  grows, 
Nor  despicable  state : 
Yes,  one — the  first,  the  last,  the  best, 
The  Cineinnatus  of  the  West, 
Whom  envy  dared  not  hate  — 
Bequeathed  the  name  of  Washington, 
To  make  men  blush,  there  was  but  One." 

Byron  (England). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  131 


SEPTEMBER  FOURTH. 


1774  Colonel  Washington,  Patrick  Henry,  and  Edmund  Randolph,  having 
breakfasted  at  Wilmington,  crossed  Christiana  Ferry  and  dined  in  Chester.  It 
was  a  notable  trio :  Washington  was  forty-two  years  of  age,  Patrick  Henry  four 
years  his  junior,  and  Edmund  Randolph  threescore.  As  they  had  journeyed 
from  Virginia,  these  earnest  patriots  had  with  evil  forebodings  discussed  the  ill 
usage  received  from  the  mother-country  and  the  possibilities  of  redress  without 
resorting  to  arms. 

1778  From  White  Plains,  Washington  wrote  to  the  president  of  Congress: 
"  The  designs  of  the  enemy,  as  to  their  future  movements,  remain  yet  entirely 
unfolded ;  but  the  expectation  of  their  leaving  the  continent  is  daily  decreasing. 
The  hurricane  season  seems  opposed  to  their  going  to  the  West  Indies.  Where 
the  theatre  of  war  maybe,  must  be  a  matter  of  conjecture." 

1794  Upon  the  arrival  in  this  country  of  the  son  of  his  dear  friend  Lafay- 
ette, and  his  namesake,  the  President  wrote  to  George  Calvert:  "I  will  be  his 
friend,  but  the  manner  of  becoming  so,  considering  the  obnoxious  light  in  which 
his  father  is  viewed  by  the  French  Government,  and  my  own  situation  as  the 
Executive  of  the  United  States  requires  time  to  consider  in  all  its  relations." 


"  His  administration  was  a  satire  on  those  born  to  rule.  When  we  see  a  whole  nation  of 
freemen  in  tears — disconsolate  for  the  death  of  a  fellow  citizen;—  What  words  can  swell  his 
panegyric  ?  n  Timothy  Bigelow  (Massachusetts). 

SEPTEMBER  FIFTH. 

1774  Colonel  Washington,  one  of  the  fifty-one  members  of  the  General  Con- 
gress, was  present  at  its  opening  in  Carpenter's  Hall,  Philadelphia.  This  body 
was  called  together  to  express  the  sentiments  of  the  colonies,  and  to  take  mea- 
sures in  regard  to  the  situation  in  Massachusetts.  Silas  Deane  wrote  his  wife: 
J1  You  may  tell  your  friends  that  I  never  met,  nor  scarcely  had  an  idea  of  meet- 
ing with  men  of  such  firmness,  sensibility,  spirit,  and  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
interests  of  America,  as  the  gentlemen  from  the  Southern  Provinces  appear  to 
be.  May  New  England  go  hand  in  hand  with  them,  and  we  need  not  fear  a 
want  of  spirit.77 

1781  "The  rear  of  the  French  army  having  reached  Philadelphia,  and  the 
Americans  having  passed  it,  the  stores  having  got  up  and  everything  in  a  toler- 
able train  here ;  I  left  the  city  for  the  head  of  Elk  to  hasten  the  embarkation  at 
that  place,  and  on  my  way  received  the  agreeable  news  of  the  safe  arrival  of  the 
Count  de  Grasse  in  the  Bay  of  Chesapeake  with  28  sail  of  the  line,  and  four 
frigates  with  3,000  land  troops  which  were  to  be  immediately  debarked  at  James- 
town, and  form  a  junction  with  the  American  army  under  the  command  of  the 
Marquis  de  Lafayette."     Washington's  Journal. 


"Some  great  men  have  played  leap-frog;  some  practised  this  affectation,  some  that.  The 
book  of  history  records  too  amply  the  child-like  diversions  among  those  who  have  nourished  on 
the  summits  of  renown.     We  hear  of  none  of  this  in  Washington." 

Eichard  Bush  (Pennsylvania). 


132  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


SEPTEMBER  SIXTH. 


1776  The  Commander-in-chief  divided  his  army  into  three  divisions, — five 
thousand  to  remain  in  New  York,  nine  thousand  to  be  placed  at  Kings  Bridge 
and  its  dependencies,  and  the  third  to  move  between  the  two  points.  In  reply 
to  Congress,  asking  him  "  to  have  a  special  care  taken,  in  case  he  shall  find  it 
necessary  to  quit  New  York,  that  no  damage  be  done  the  city,  by  his  troops  on 
their  leaving  it,"  he  said :  "  In  case  we  are  obliged  to  abandon  it  I  shall  take 
every  measure  in  my  power  to  prevent  it." 

1777  Washington  said :  "Since  General  Howe's  debarkation  in  Elk  river  he 
has  moved  on  about  seven  miles ;  his  main  body  now  lays  at  Iron  Hill,  and  ours 
near  a  village  called  Newport  (three  miles  beyond  Wilmington),  in  this  position 
the  armies  are  from  eight  to  ten  miles  apart.  It  is  yet  very  uncertain  what 
General  Howe's  plan  of  operations  will  be." 

1781  To  Admiral  Count  de  Grasse,  General  Washington  replied:  "I  have 
been  honored  by  your  Excellencies  favor  of  the  2nd  instant,  and  do  myself 
the  pleasure  to  felicitate  you  on  the  happy  arrival  of  so  formidable  a  fleet  of 
his  Most  Christian  Majesty  in  the  Bay  of  Chesapeake  under  your  Excellency's 
command." 


"All  I  can  say  is  that  I  look  upon  Washington,  among  great  and  good  men,  as  one  pecu- 
liarly good  and  great ;  and  that  he  has  been  to  me  for  more  than  forty  years  a  light  upon  the 
path  of  life."  William  E.  Gladstone. 

SEPTEMBER  SEVENTH. 

1774  On  motion  of  Samuel  Adams  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  the  first  prayer 
was  offered  in  the  General  Congress  by  Rev.  Jacob  Duche,  the  eloquent  Episco- 
pal divine.  After  reading  the  thirty-fifth  Psalm,  he  made  fervent  extempore 
prayer.  He  was  then  an  ardent  patriot,  but  when  the  British  occupied  Phila- 
delphia his  courage  failed,  and  he  wrote  Washington  begging  him  to  resign  and 
"  to  represent  to  Congress,  the  indispensable  necessity  of  rescinding  the  hasty 
and  ill-advised  Declaration  of  Independence." 

1785  Washington  applied  to  Samuel  Fraunce,  New  York,  the  well-known 
boniface,  to  do  him  the  favor  of  securing  him  a  housekeeper,  whom  he  could 
recommend  for  honesty  and  knowledge  of  her  profession,  "to  relieve  Mrs. 
Washington  from  the  drudgery  of  ordering."  After  he  became  President, 
Fraunce  was  his  chef  de  cuisine,  but  was  dismissed  on  account  of  extravagance. 

1788  To  Colonel  William  Barton,  of  Rhode  Island,  that  gallant  militia  offi- 
cer who  captured  General  Prescott  (in  1778  exchanged  for  General  Charles 
Lee),  Washington  wrote  in  regard  to  the  unreasonable  prejudice  against  an  in- 
nocent institution,  "  I  mean  the  Cincinnati,"  repudiating  all  designs  on  the  part 
of  its  promoters  of  setting  up  an  order  of  nobility. 


"His  fame  is  a  sea  without  a  shore.  Learn  from  him  to  be  all  eye,  all  ear,  all  heart  in  the 
service  of  your  country,  to  think  no  service  too  great,  which  public  good  requires  at  your  hands. 
He  had  religion  without  austerity,  dignity  without  pride,  modesty  without  diffidence,  politeness 
without  affectation,  affability  without  familiarity."    David  Bamsay,  LL.  D.  (South  Carolina). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  133 

SEPTEMBER  EIGHTH. 

1781  General  Washington  and  his  Adjutant-General  Hand,  Governor  Clin- 
ton, Count  de  Rochambeau,  Chastellux,  and  Viomenil,  on  their  journey  to  York- 
town,  received  a  warm  welcome  at  Baltimore.  The  city  was  illuminated,  the 
streets  crowded  with  men,  women,  and  children,  and  about  "Fountain  Inn," 
where  Washington  remained  all  night,  u  the  scene  was  one  of  almost  frantic  joy." 

1782  The  Commander-in-chief  informed  General  Sir  Guy  Carleton  that  he 
had  selected  Major-Generals  Heath  and  Knox  to  confer  with  the  English  com- 
missioners, Lieutenant-General  Campbell  and  Mr.  Elliott,  to  settle  a  general 
cartel  for  exchange  of  prisoners.  He  proposed  that  the  meeting  be  held  at 
Tappan  on  the  18th,  "  at  which  time  my  Commissioners  will  attend  and  will  be 
accompanied  by  the  Commissioners  of  prisoners." 

1791  President  Washington  wrote  to  General  and  Mrs.  Knox  on  the  death 
of  a  child  j  one  of  their  children  had  been  named  for  him.  On  this  occasion,  as 
on  every  other  when  opportunity  offered,  he  gave  assurance  of  his  abiding  faith 
in  God.  He  said :  "  He  that  gave,  you  know,  has  the  right  to  take  away.  His 
ways  are  wise,  they  are  inscrutable  and  irresistable." 


"  Washington  stands  alone,  unapproachable,  like  a  snow  peak  rising  above  its  fellows  into 
the  clear  air  of  the  morning,  with  a  dignity,  constancy,  and  purity  which  have  made  him  the 
ideal  type  of  civic  virtue  to  succeeding  generations.  No  greater  benefit  could  have  befallen  the 
republic  than  to  have  such  a  type  from  the  first,  before  the  eye  and  mind  of  the  people." 

James  Bryce,  M.  P.,  "The  American  Commonwealth"  (England). 

SEPTEMBER  NINTH. 

1777  At  Newport,  Delaware,  General  Washington,  with  the  Continental 
army,  having  waited  all  day  under  arms,  expecting  an  attack  from  Sir  William 
Howe,  who  was  only  two  miles  in  the  rear,  marched  through  the  night,  and  took 
post  on  the  high  grounds  near  Chadd's  Ford. 

1781  The  Commander-in-chief,  from  the  Head  of  Elk,  en  route  for  Yorktown, 
accompanied  only  by  Adjutant-General  Hand,  reached  Mount  Vernon  late  in  the 
evening,  having  been  absent  from  his  beloved  home  six  years  and  four  months  — 
a  separation  which  had  been  a  sorrow  demanding  all  the  fortitude  his  strong  na- 
ture had  been  able  to  summon. 

1786  Washington  wrote  from  Mount  Vernon  to  that  early  advocate  of  anti- 
slavery,  Governor  John  Francis  Mercer  of  Maryland:  "I  never  mean,  unless 
some  particular  circumstances  should  compel  me  to  it,  to  possess  another  slave 
by  purchase,  it  being  among  my  first  wishes  to  see  some  plan  adopted  by  which 
slavery  in  this  country  may  be  abolished  by  law." 


"  Twice  he  was  made  dictator,  with  absolute  power,  and  never  abused  the  awful  and  despotic 
trust.  The  monarchic  soldiers  and  civilians  would  make  him  king.  He  tramped  on  their  offer, 
and  went  back  to  his  fields  of  corn  and  tobacco  at  Mount  Vernon.  The  grandest  act  of  his 
public  life  was  to  give  up  his  power ;  the  most  magnanimous  deed  of  his  private  life  was  to 
liberate  his  slaves."  Theodore  Parker  (Massachusetts). 


134  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


SEPTEMBER  TENTH. 


1780  The  Commander-in-chief  and  his  generals  attended  the  fnneral  of 
Brigadier-General  Enoch  Poor,  who  was  mortally  wonnded  in  a  dnel  with  a  French 
officer.  He  was  interred  at  the  old  Dntch  Reformed  Church,  Hackensack.  Wash- 
ington said  he  was  "  an  officer  of  distinguished  merit,  who  as  a  citizen  and  a  sol- 
dier had  every  claim  to  the  esteem  of  his  country." 

1781  General  and  Mrs.  Washington  received,  at  Mount  Vernon,  Count  de 
Rochambeau,  Chastellux,  and  Viomenil.  These  noblemen  enjoyed,  with  all  the 
zest  of  boys,  the  short  relaxation  from  care  and  the  generous  hospitality  of  the 
Virginia  plantation. 

1783  From  Rocky  Hill,  Washington  wrote  a  fraternal  letter  to  Thomas 
Paine,  saying,  "  Come  to  this  place  and  partake  of  my  board.  Your  presence 
may  remind  Congress  of  your  past  services  to  this  country,  and  if  it  is  in  my 
power  to  impress  them,  command  my  best  exertions  with  freedom,  as  they  will 
be  rendered  cheerfully  by  one  who  entertains  a  lively  sense  of  the  importance  of 
your  works." 


"  His  stature  is  noble  and  lofty ;  he  is  well  made  and  exactly  proportioned ;  his  physiognomy 
mild  and  agreeable,  but  such  as  renders  it  impossible  to  speak  particularly  of  any  of  his  features, 
so  that  in  quitting  him  you  have  only  the  recollection  of  a  fine  face.  He  has  neither  a  grave  nor 
a  familiar  air ;  his  brow  is  sometimes  marked  with  thought,  but  never  with  inquietude.  Inspiring 
respect,  he  inspires  confidence,  and  his  smile  is  always  the  smile  of  benevolence." 

Marquis  de  Chastellux  (France). 

SEPTEMBER  ELEVENTH. 

1777  The  Battle  of  Brandywine  was  fought  this  day.  Washington,  in  his 
report  to  Congress,  said :  "  We  had  a  pretty  general  engagement  with  the  enemy 
which  from  some  unlucky  incidents  terminated  against  us,  so  far  as  our  being 
obliged  after  an  obstinate  action  to  quit  the  field,  with  a  loss  of  some  men,  and 
artillery.  But  from  every  account  we  have  reason  to  believe  the  enemy  suffered 
more  than  we  did  in  the  number  of  killed  and  wounded."  Lafayette  was  seri- 
ously wounded;  he  was  taken  to  the  Moravians,  at  Bethlehem,  and  tenderly 
nursed,  but  all  his  life  suffered  from  this  wound  received  in  his  first  important 
battle. 

1781  In  honor*of  their  military  guests,  General  and  Mrs.  Washington  gave  a 
dinner  party  at  Mount  Vernon.  The  neighbors  were  invited  to  welcome  their 
old  friend,  and  meet  the  distinguished  French  and  American  officers.  Thirteen 
years  before,  this  entry  is  found  in  Washington's  diary :  "  Lord  Fairfax,  his  brother. 
Colonel  William  Fairfax  and  Mr.  B.  Fairfax  dined  at  Mount  Vernon." 

1789  The  President  appointed  his  first  cabinet  officer,  Alexander  Hamilton, 
of  New  York,  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  and  the  following  day  Henry  Knox, 
of  Massachusetts,  Secretary  of  War  and*  of  the  Navy.  The  failure  of  Congress 
to  establish  departments  and  fix  the  salaries  of  the  officials  caused  delay  in 
forming  the  cabinet. 


"  He  was  in  the  highest  sense  of  the  word  a  gentleman  and  a  man  of  honor,  and  he  carried 
into  public  life  the  severest  standard  of  private  morals."  William  E.  H.  Lecky  {England). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  135 

SEPTEMBER  TWELFTH. 

1776  Congress  left  to  the  Commander-in-chief  the  decision  of  evacuating 
New  York,  and  he  called  his  generals  together  for  consultation.  "  A  large  ma- 
jority not  only  determined  a  removal  of  the  army  prudent,  but  absolutely  neces- 
sary, declaring  they  were  entirely  convinced  from  a  full  and  minute  inquiry  into 
our  situation  that  it  was  extremely  perilous." 

1777  After  the  Battle  of  Brandy  wine,  General  Washington,  at  the  head  of 
his  army,  marched  toward  Philadelphia.  The  troops  were  in  good  spirits,  though 
the  enemy  was  in  possession  of  the  field.  General  Howe  requested  that  Ameri- 
can surgeons  be  sent  to  care  for  their  wounded.  The  day  following,  this  order 
was  issued :  "  The  General  with  peculiar  satisfaction  thanks  the  gallant  officers 
of  the  eleventh  inst.  who  bravely  fought  in  their  country's  cause." 

1778  To  Henry  Laurens,  Washington  wrote  of  Monsieur  Gerard,  the  first 
French  minister :  "  I  have  placed  him  among  the  number  of  those  we  ought  to 
revere.  Should  you  see  no  impropriety  in  my  (being  a  stranger)  presenting  com- 
pliments to  him,  I  would  give  you  trouble  in  doing  this,  and  of  assuring  him 
that  I  could  wish  to  be  considered  as  one  of  his  admirers." 


"  Washington  was  so  useful  because  he  was  so  devout,  he  was  so  strong  because  he  was  so 
reliant  upon  God,  and  unselfish  and  heroic  because  he  had  in  him  the  self-sacrificing  spirit  of 
Christ.  In  fine,  Washington  was  chief  among  men  because,  like  his  Master,  he  cheerfully  be- 
came the  servant  of  all."  Joel  Swartz,  D.  D.  {Virginia). 

SEPTEMBER  THIRTEENTH. 

1780  The  Commander-in-chief  gave  Captain  Hendricks  Solomon,  a  Stock- 
bridge  chief,  a  letter  to  the  president  of  Congress,  in  which  he  said :  "  He  and 
the  twenty  warriors  with  him  have  done  good  service  and  I  have  indulged  them 
in  a  visit  to  Philadelphia,  and  desire  they  shall  receive  presents  of  clothes  &c." 
Washington  sent  to  General  Arnold  this,  his  last  command :  "  I  shall  be  at  Peek- 
skill  on  Sunday  eve'g  on  my  way  to  Hartford  to  meet  the  French  Admiral  and 
General.  You  will  be  pleased  to  send  down  a  guard  of  a  Captain  and  50  at  that 
time,  and  direct  the  q'rmaster  to  endeavor  to  have  a  night's  forage  for  about 
forty  Horses.  You  will  keep  this  to  yourself,  as  I  want  to  make  my  journey  a 
secret." 

1781  Washington,  on  his  way  from  Mount  Vernon  to  Yorktown,  paused  at 
Fredericksburg  to  present  to  his  mother  the  distinguished  foreign  and  native 
officers.  Upon  his  arrival  at  Williamsburg  the  following  day,  he  established  his 
headquarters  in  the  Wythe  House.  The  troops,  especially  the  French,  received 
him  with  delight ;  and  his  meeting  with  Lafayette  was  recorded  by  an  old  soldier 
as  being  "  something  to  remember P 


"  All  his  answers  are  pertinent;  he  shows  the  utmost  reserve  and  is  very  diflident;  but  at 
the  same  time  he  is  firm  and  unchangeable  in  whatever  he  undertakes.  His  modesty  must  be 
very  astonishing,  especially  to  a  Frenchman.  He  speaks  of  the  American  war,  as  though  he 
had  not  directed  it ;  and  of  his  victories  with  an  indifference  which  strangers  even  would  not 
affect."  Jean  Pierre  Brissot  {France). 


136  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


SEPTEMBER  FOURTEENTH. 


1775  The  Commander-in-chief  gave  Colonel  Benedict  Arnold  command  of  a 
detachment  to  join  General  Schuyler's  expedition  to  Quebec,  with  instructions 
to  "  check  every  idea  and  crush  in  its  earliest  stages  every  attempt  to  plunder 
even  those,  who  are  known  to  be  enemies  of  our  cause.  As  far  as  lies  in  your 
power,  you  are  to  protect  and  support  the  free  exercise  of  the  religion  of  the 
country." 

1776  General  Washington,  from  his  headquarters,  the  Morris  House,  Har- 
lem, sent  Captain  Nathan  Hale  on  his  fatal  mission  to  Long  Island.  Despite 
the  protests  of  officers  and  pleadings  of  comrades,  this  patriot  undertook  the 
hazardous  duty  of  a  spy. 

1782  At  verplanck's  Point  the  entire  army,  under  arms,  forming  a  line  of 
three  miles,  paraded  to  receive  General  Rochambeau  on  his  return  from  the 
South.  Every  mark  of  honor  was  accorded  the  French  commander  and  his  army. 
General  Washington  ordered  that  only  French  music  should  be  played.  The 
Continentals  were  for  the  first  time  in  full  uniform,  heretofore  their  only  uni- 
formity having  been  a  cap  on  which  was  the  word  "  Liberty."  Rochambeau  was 
enthusiastic  over  their  advance  in  military  bearing,  saying  to  Washington:  "You 
must  have  formed  an  alliance  with  the  King  of  Prussia.  These  troops  are 
Prussians." 


"  The  excellence  of  Washington  is  of  no  common  character.  It  is  that  excellence  that 
makes  panegyric  poor,  that  defies  description,  that  overpowers  eloquence." 

Francis  Scott  Key  (Maryland). 

SEPTEMBER  FIFTEENTH. 

1776  A  detachment  of  British  landed  at  Kips  Bay,  and  engaged  some  Con- 
necticut troops,  who  became  panic-stricken  and  fled.  Washington  reached  the 
spot,  and  in  his  endeavor  to  rally  the  soldiers  was  in  the  hottest  of  the  fight. 
He  established  headquarters  at  the  Morris  House,  the  home  of  Major  Roger 
Morris,  one  of  the  British  ofiicers  wounded  in  Braddock's  engagement.  His 
wife  was  Mary  Philipse,  and  in  1756  Colonel  Washington  was  her  suitor.  Wash- 
ington wrote :  "  I  would  beg  leave  to  mention  to  Congress  that  the  pay  now  al- 
lowed to  nurses,  is  by  m>  means  adequate  to  their  services.  The  officers  I  have 
talked  with  upon  the  subject,  all  agree  that  they  should  be  allowed  a  dollar  per 
week,  and  for  less  they  cannot  be  had." 

1781  Washington  sent  a  courier  from  Williamsburg  to  General  Lincoln, 
saying,  "  Every  day  we  now  lose  is  comparatively  an  age,  as  soon  as  it  is  in  our 
power  with  safety,  we  ought  to  take  our  position  near  the  enemy.  Hurry  on, 
then  my  dear  General  with  your  troops  on  the  wings  of  speed.  The  want  of 
our  men  and  stores  is  now  all  that  retards  our  immediate  operations." 


"  I  can  only  say  that,  seen  from  my  special  point  of  view,  Washington  was  a  great  English- 
man, who  fought  for  English  rights  against  the  government  of  the  King  of  England,  not  against 
the  English  nation.  Hatred  of  the  English  nation  he  never  betrayed,  nor  could  he  be  fostering 
it  now.  Goldwin  Smith,  LL.  D.  (Canada). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  137 

SEPTEMBER    SIXTEENTH. 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief  witnessed  the  engagement  of  Harlem 
Heights,  from  the  Point  of  Rocks,  between  the  Hessian  Yagers,  British  Light 
Infantry  and  Highlanders,  and  the  American  riflemen.  The  troops  fought  well 
on  both  sides,  and  gave  great  proof  of  their  marksmanship.  The  next  day,  in 
thanking  the  men  for  their  gallant  bearing,  Washington  contrasted  them  with 
the  troops  at  Kips  Bay,  showing  "what  may  be  done  where  officers  and  soldiers 
exert  themselves." 

1777  Congress  preferred  charges  against  General  Sullivan,  as  the  principal 
disaster  at  the  Battle  of  Brandywine  was  under  his  command.  Washington  de- 
fended this  brilliant,  impetuous  officer,  and  suspended  his  recall,  saying,  "  It  is 
not  my  wish  to  prevent  or  to  delay  a  proper  inquiry  into  General  Sullivan's  con- 
duct a  single  instant,  when  the  circumstances  of  the  army  will  admit.  But  now 
they  prohibit  it  and  I  think  the  suspension  of  his  command  also." 

1795  President  Washington  wrote  to  Timothy  Pickering,  Secretary  of  War 
and  the  Navy,  directing  him  to  investigate  the  junction  of  the  Potomac  and 
Shenandoah  rivers,  called  Harper's  Ferry,  as  to  its  suitability  for  a  United 
States  arsenal,  giving  his  favorable  opinion,  and  recounting  its  peculiar  ad- 
vantages. 


"  His  face  is  handsome,  noble  and  mild.  He  is  tall  (at  least  five  feet  eight  inches).  In  the 
evening  I  was  at  supper  with  him ;  I  mark  as  a  fortunate  day,  that  in  which  I  had  been  able  to 
behold  a  man  so  truly  great."  Claude  Blanchard  {France). 

SEPTEMBER  SEVENTEENTH. 

1777  The  Continental  Congress  for  the  second  time  invested  the  Comman- 
der-in-chief with  absolute  power,  making  him  Military  Dictator. 

1787  "  Met  in  Convention,  when  the  Constitution  received  the  unanimous 
assent  of  11  states  and  Colo.  Hamilton's  from  New  York  (the  only  delegate  from 
thence  in  Convention),  and  was  subscribed  to  by  every  member  present,  except 
Govr:  Randolph  and  Colo.  Mason  from  Virginia,  &  Mr.  Gerry  from  Massachu- 
setts. The  business  being  thus  closed,  the  members  adjourned  to  the  City  Tav- 
ern, dined  together  and  took  a  cordial  leave  of  each  other."  Washington's 
Diary  {Philadelphia). 

1796  It  being  the  policy  of  President  Washington  to  offer  inducements  in 
the  capital  city  to  foreign  countries,  he  wrote  the  Commissioners  of  the  Terri- 
tory of  Columbia,  that  "it  would  be  very  agreeable  and  pleasing  to  me  if  a 
site  should  be  given  to  the  Spanish  Minister  upon  which  he  could  erect  a  resi- 
dence for  the  Representative  of  that  country  to  the  United  States.  It  would 
contribute  much  more  to  the  advancement  of  the  city  than  any  pecuniary  con- 
sideration to  be  derived  from  sale  of  Lots." 


"Hail!  patriot  Chief,  all  Hail!  Historic  fame        " Earth  has  Niagara — the  sky  its  sun, — 
In  purest  gold  hath  traced  thy  glorious  name !      And  proud  mankind  its  only  Washington." 

Alfred  B.  Street  {New  York). 


138  GEOBGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

SEPTEMBER  EIGHTEENTH. 

1781  Washington  accompanied  by  Generals  Rochambeau,  Knox,  Duportail, 
and  Marqnis  de  Chastellux,  embarked  on  board  the  Queen  Charlotte  for  an 
interview  with  Admiral  de  Grasse  off  Cape  Henry.  He  was  received  by  the 
French  admiral  on  his  flag-ship,  Ville  de  Paris,  with  the  honors  due  a  marshal 
of  France. 

1787  When  he  sent  the  proceedings  of  the  Federal  Convention  to  Lafayette, 
Washington  said:  "It  is  the  result  of  four  months  deliberation.  It  is  now  a 
child  of  fortune,  to  be  fostered  by  some,  and  buffeted  by  others.  What  will  be 
the  general  opinion,  or  the  reception  of  it,  is  not  for  me  to  decide :  nor  shall  I 
say  anything  for  or  against  it.  If  it  be  good,  I  suppose  it  will  work  its  way  j  if 
bad,  it  will  recoil  on  the  framers." 

1793  President  Washington  as  Master  Mason  marched  with  the  Alexandria 
Lodge  No.  22,  and  assisted  in  laying  the  southeast  corner-stone  of  the  Capitol. 
On  this  occasion  he  wore  the  apron  and  regalia  embroidered  by  the  Marquise  de 
Lafayette.  The  gavel  used  is  preserved  in  Lodge  No.  9,  Georgetown,  D.  C.  The 
centenary  of  this  event  was  celebrated  by  the  Government,  and  by  the  citizens  of 
the  District  of  Columbia. 


"The  life  and  example  of  Washington  can  never  be  too  vividly  portrayed.  The  century 
just  closing  has  not  dimmed  the  glory  of  his  achievements,  nor  lessened  the  admiration  of  his 
grateful  countrymen."  Adlai  E.  Stevenson  {Kentucky),  Vice-President  of  the  United  States. 

SEPTEMBER  NINETEENTH. 

1751  George  Washington  sailed  for  Barbados,  with  his  brother,  Lawrence. 
In  his  diary  he  has  left  a  naive  record  of  the  social  life  at  the  islands,  as  well  as 
more  practical  observations  of  their  climate  and  productions.  Major  Lawrence 
Washington's  health,  which  had  never  been  regained  since  the  siege  of  Cartha- 
gena,  compelled  him  to  resign  his  position  of  Adjutant  Inspector  of  Virginia 
Militia.  This  he  did  in  favor  of  his  brother  George,  who  at  the  age  of  nineteen 
was  commissioned  Major  of  the  Fourth  Division,  with  a  salary  of  £150  a  year  — 
his  first  military  office. 

1783  In  referring  to  Mrs.  John  Parke  Custis's  marriage  to  Dr.  David  Stuart, 
Washington  said:  "I  never  shall  give  advice  to  a  woman  who  is  setting  out  on 
a  matrimonial  voyage ;  first,  because  I  could  never  advise  one  to  marry  without 
her  own  consent ;  and  secondly,  because  I  know  it  is  to  no  purpose  to  advise  her 
to  refrain  when  she  has  obtained  it." 

1796  President  Washington  issued  his  "Farewell  address  to  the  people  of 
the  United  States  "  in  the  "  Daily  Advertiser,"  Philadelphia.  He  presented  the 
MS.  copy  to  the  editor,  David  C.  Claypoole,  and  it  is  now  preserved  as  a  sacred 
relic  in  the  Lenox  Library,  New  York.  This  priceless  address  has  been  styled 
"Washington's  legacy,"  and  must  remain  unique  among  the  possessions  of  the 
New  World. 


u  Washington  reverses  the  rules  of  perspective  in  history,  for  the  farther  he  recedes  the 
nobler  and  grander  does  his  figure  become." 

James  Abraham  Garfield,  President  of  the  United  States. 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  139 

SEPTEMBER  TWENTIETH. 

1765  Commenting  on  the  Stamp  Act  to  Colonel  Danaridge,  London,  Wash- 
ington wrote :  "  Our  whole  substance  does  already  in  a  manner  flow  to  Great 
Britain,  and  that  whatsoever  contributes  to  lessen  our  importations  must  be 
hurtful  to  their  manuf  acturies.  Many  luxuries  which  we  lavish  our  substance 
in  Great  Britain  for  can  well  be  dispensed  with,  whilst  the  necessaries  of  life  are 
to  be  had  within  ourselves.  This  consequently,  will  introduce  frugality,  and  be 
a  necessary  stimulation  to  industry." 

1768  "  Colo  Burwell  and  myself  went  away  to  Bel  voir,  and  Mrs.  Washington 
and  ye  two  children  went  to  Alexandria  to  see  '  Inconstance,  or  How  to  Win 
Her/  acted."     Washington's  Diary. 

1777  At  Parker's  Ford,  with  water  up  to  the  armpits,  the  army  crossed  the 
Schuylkill,  hoping  to  intercept  the  crossing  of  the  enemy.  "  There  was  great 
difficulty  in  getting  information,"  said  the  Commander-in-chief,  "  as  the  inhabi- 
tants are  disaffected  to  a  man."  "His  Excellency,  General  Washington  was 
with  the  troops  in  person,  who  marched  past  here,  the  Trappe,  to  the  Perkio- 
men.  The  procession  lasted  the  whole  night,  and  we  had  numerous  visits  from 
officers,  wet  breast  high,  who  had  to  march  in  this  condition  during  the  whole 
night,  cold  and  damp  as  it  was,  and  to  bear  hunger  and  thirst  at  the  same  time." 


"  The  orb  of  his  fame  now  in  the  mid  heavens  will  increase  in  lustre  and  its  power  of  at- 
traction, to  the  end  of  time."  James  Osborne  Putnam  (New  York). 

SEPTEMBER  TWENTY-FIRST. 

1 780  The  Commander-in-chief,  accompanied  by  Generals  Lafayette  and  Knox, 
reached  Hartford,  where  he  met  Count  de  Rochambeau  and  Admiral  de  Ternay, 
and  with  "  stately  cordiality  "  welcomed  them  to  the  New  World.  A  conference 
of  war  was  held  at  the  mansion  of  Colonel  Peleg  Wadsworth.  There  was  much 
curiosity  among  these  European  officers  to  see  the  great  leader,  and  of  him  they 
have  left  valuable  pen-pictures. 

1782  At  Verplanck's  Point,  the  second  anniversary  of  the  meeting  of  Wash- 
ington and  Rochambeau  was  devoted  by  the  Continentals  to  a  military  reception, 
festival,  and  feast,  in  compliment  to  the  French  army.  A  French  officer  says : 
"  This  camp  was  covered  with  garlands  and  pyramids,  as  so  many  trophies  raised 
by  the  hand  of  liberty.  Their  most  exact  uniformity,  the  neat  dress  of  the  men, 
the  glittering  of  then*  arms,  their  martial  look  and  a  kind  of  military  luxury, 
gave  a  most  magnificent  appearance  to  this  assemblage  of  citizens  in  defense  of 
their  country." 

1787  Returning  from  the  Constitutional  Convention,  Washington  notes: 
"  Breakfasted  in  Baltimore,  dined  at  the  Widow  Balls,  and  lodged  at  Major 
Snowdens,  who  was  not  at  home."  "  Breakfasted  at  Bladensburg,  and  passing 
through  George  Town  dined  in  Alexandria  and  reached  home  (with  Mr.  Blair) 
about  sunset,  after  an  absence  of  four  months  and  14  days."    Washington's  Diary. 


"  Born  to  direct  the  destiny  of  empires,  his  character  was  as  majestic  as  the  events,  to  which 
it  was  attached,  were  illustrious."  Robert  Treat  Paine,  Jr.  (Massachusetts). 


140  GEOEGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

SEPTEMBER  TWENTY-SECOND. 

1776  On  this  day,  by  the  order  of  Sir  William  Howe,  Captain  Nathan  Hale 
was  executed  as  a  spy.  This  noble  young  patriot  had  undertaken  the  hazardous 
duty  of  entering  the  enemy's  lines  on  Long  Island.  His  motto  was :  "  Every 
kind  of  service  necessary  for  the  public  good  becomes  honorable,  by  being  neces- 
sary, and  that  all  service  and  any  death  is  honorable  for  one's  country."  The 
city  of  New  York  has  memorialized  this  noble  sacrifice  by  placing  the  statue  of 
Nathan  Hale  on  the  spot  of  his  execution. 

1780  General  Washington  and  the  French  officers  having  concluded  their 
conference  at  Hartford,  Rochambeau  returned  to  Newport.  "  The  next  morning 
Washington  and  suite  shook  hands  with  the  hospitable  Wadsworth,  the  worthy 
Governor  Trumbull,  and  numerous  other  friends,  and,  amid  volleys  of  huzzas, 
started  for  the  headquarters  of  the  Army." 

1781  Washington  and  his  generals  experienced  heavy  storms  off  Cape 
Henry,  but  reached  Williamsburg  this  day.  He  notes  in  his  journal:  "  I  settled 
most  points  with  Admiral  de  Grasse  to  my  satisfaction,  except  not  obtaining  an 
assurance  of  sending  ships  above  York,  and  that  he  could  not  continue  his  fleet 
on  this  station  longer  than  the  first  of  November." 


"  'Neath  the  shade  "They  bow  no  knee  to  Caesar,  but  compel 

Of  the  Coliseum  vaulting  up  to  heaven,  The  kingly  Tiber  to  pronounce  the  name  of 

Palace  and  Pantheon  and  Monument  Washington." 
Where  half  the  wandering  world  as  pilgrims 

come,  Lydia  H.  Sigourney  {Connecticut). 

SEPTEMBER  TWENTY-THIRD. 

1780  Major  Andr6,  in  disguise,  and  under  the  assumed  name  of  "John  An- 
derson/7 was  captured  near  Tarrytown,  by  David  Williams,  John  Paulding,  and 
Isaac  Van  Wart,  who  refused  all  bribes  offered  by  the  unfortunate  young  officer. 
They  conducted  him  to  North  Castle,  the  nearest  post,  and  delivered  him  to  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Jamison.  The  papers  found  concealed  in  his  boots  were  in  the 
handwriting  of  General  Arnold,  and  gave  all  information  necessary  for  the  cap- 
ture of  West  Point. 

1 789  President  Washington  wrote  from  New  York  to  the  venerable  Ben j  amin 
Franklin :  "  If  to  be  venerated  for  benevolence,  if  to  be  esteemed  for  patriotism,  if 
to  be  beloved  for  philanthropy,  can  gratify  the  human  mind,  you  must  have  the 
pleasing  consolation  to  know,  that  you  have  not  lived  in  vain.  And  I  flatter 
myself  that  it  will  not  be  ranked  among  the  least  grateful  occurances  of  your 
life  to  be  assured,  that,  so  long  as  I  retain  my  memory,  you  will  be  thought  on 
with  respect,  veneration  and  affection  by  your  sincere  friend."  Their  regard  had 
remained  unchanged  since  first  they  met  on  the  frontier  in  1755,  when  Colonel 
Washington  was  on  Braddock's  staff,  and  Colonial  Deputy  Postmaster  Franklin 
arranged  for  transmission  of  letters  and  transportation  for  the  army  to  the 
wilderness. 


"  The  character  of  Washington  stands  alone  among  the  great  men  of  the  world,  as  a  pure 
man,  a  patriot,  a  wise  statesman,  a  citizen,  a  ruler,  a  husbandman,  a  general  and  a  christian." 

Charles  Lanman,  "Dictionary  of  Congress." 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  141 

SEPTEMBER  TWENTY-FOURTH. 

1778  General  Washington  said  to  Lafayette  :  "  Conld  I  have  conceived  that 
my  picture  had  been  an  object  of  your  wishes,  I  should  while  Mr.  Peale  was  in 
camp  at  Valley  Forge  have  got  him  to  have  taken  the  best  portrait  of  me  he 
could,  and  presented  it  to  you." 

1780  Returning  from  Hartford,  when  in  the  vicinity  of  Fishkill,  Washington 
met  the  Marquis  de  la  Luzerne,  on  his  way  to  Newport  to  visit  Rochambeau. 
The  marquis  persuaded  him  to  remain  over  night  at  Fishkill  instead  of  pushing 
on  to  West  Point.  Early  the  next  morning,  after  examining  the  works,  he  set  out 
for  the  Robinson  House. 

1783  The  Commander-in-chief  and  wife  attended  the  annual  commencement 
of  Princeton  College,  held  in  the  First  Presbyterian  Church.  After  the  exercises 
the  trustees  selected  Doctors  Witherspoon,  Rogers,  and  Johnes  as  a  committee  to 
request  General  Washington  to  sit  for  his  portrait  to  Mr.  Charles  Willson  Peale : 
to  be  placed  in  the  hall,  where  a  picture  of  George  the  Second  had  been  destroyed 
by  a  cannon-ball.  This  full-length  portrait,  representing  Washington  at  the  Battle 
of  Princeton,  is  still  at  the  college. 


"  I  had  time  to  see  this  illustrious  man,  if  not  unique  in  our  century.  His  handsome  and 
majestic,  while  at  the  same  time  open  countenance,  perfectly  reflects  his  moral  qualities ;  he 
looks  the  hero,  he  is  very  cold ;  speaks  little,  but  is  courteous  and  frank.  A  shade  of  sadness 
overshadows  his  countenance,  which  is  not  unbecoming  and  gives  him  an  interesting  air." 

Count  de  Fersen,  Aide-de-Camp  to  Rochambeau. 

SEPTEMBER  TWENTY-FIFTH. 

1774  Colonel  Washington  attended  a  Quaker  meeting  in  the  morning  and  St. 
Peter's  in  the  afternoon.  During  the  session  of  the  first  Congress  the  citizens  of 
Philadelphia  extended  graceful  hospitalities,  and  there  was  one  famous  dinner 
at  the  State  House  where  five  hundred  guests  were  seated. 

1780  The  Commander-in-chief  arrived  at  Arnold's  headquarters,  and  break- 
fasted with  Mrs.  Arnold,  who  said  her  husband  had  been  called  away.  On  re- 
ceiving a  letter  from  Arnold,  Washington  at  once  sent  the  following  to  Colonel 
Wade :  u  General  Arnold  is  gone  to  the  enemy.  I  have  just  received  a  line  from 
him  enclosing  one  to  Mrs.  Arnold  dated  on  board  the  Vulture.  From  this  cir- 
cumstance, the  command  of  the  Garrison  for  the  present  devolves  on  you."  His 
letter  to  Congress  under  this  cruel  provocation  is  notable  as  being  calm,  dignified, 
and  entirely  free  from  bitterness. 

1794  The  President,  in  his  proclamation  regarding  riots  in  western  Penn- 
sylvania, said :  "  I  George  Washington,  President  of  the  United  States,  in  obedi- 
ence to  that  high  and  irresistable  duty  consigned  to  me  by  the  Constitution,  to 
take  care  that  the  laws  be  faithfully  executed  j  exhort  all  individuals,  officers, 
and  bodies  of  men  to  contemplate  with  abhorrence  those  crimes  which  produce 
this  resort  to  military  coercion." 


"  General  Washington's  conduct  is  above  all  praise.  He  has  left  a  noble  example  to 
sovereigns  and  nations,  present  and  to  come.  I  beg  you  will  mention  both  me  and  my  sons  to 
him  in  the  most  respectful  terms  possible.  If  I  was  not  too  old,  I  would  go  to  Virginia  to  do  him 
homage."  Marquis  of  Lansdowne  {England). 


142  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


SEPTEMBER  TWENTY-SIXTH. 


1777  The  Commander-in-chief  issued  to  William  Henry  the  following  order : 
"You  are  hereby  authorized  to  impress  all  the  Blankets,  Shoes,  Stockings  and 
other  Articles  of  Clothing,  that  can  be  spared  by  the  Inhabitants  of  the  County 
of  Lancaster,  for  the  use  of  the  Continental  army,  paying  for  the  same  at  reason- 
able Rates  or  giving  Certificates." 

1785  Washington  wrote  Thomas  Jefferson:  "I  shall  take  great  pleasure  in 
showing  M.  Houdon  every  civility  and  attention  in  my  power  during  his  stay  in 
this  country;  for  I  feel  myself  under  personal  obligations  to  you  and  Dr. 
Franklin  (as  the  state  of  Virginia  has  done  me  the  honor  to  direct  a  statue  to  be 
erected  in  my  memory),  for  having  placed  the  execution  in  the  hands  of  so 
eminent  an  artist  and  so  worthy  a  character." 

1789  This  day  three  cabinet  officers  nominated  by  Washington  were  con- 
firmed: Thomas  Jefferson,  of  Virginia,  Secretary  of  State  j  Samuel  Osgood, 
of  Massachusetts,  Postmaster-General;  and  Edmund  Randolph,  of  Virginia, 
Attorney-General.  These  appointments  completed  the  first  cabinet,  and  the  se- 
lection gave  general  satisfaction. 


"If  I  might  venture  to  discriminate  I  would  say  that  it  was  in  the  conflicts  of  opinion  that 
succeeded  the  revolution  that  the  greatness  of  Washington  most  displayed  itself,  for  it  was  then 
that  peril  thickened  in  most  subtle  forms ;  that  rival  passions  burned  in  intestine  flames ;  that 
crises  came  demanding  wider  reaching  and  more  constructive  faculties  than  may  be  exhibited  in 
war  or  higher  heroism  than  may  be  avouched  in  battle.  John  W.  Daniel  ( Virginia). 

SEPTEMBER  TWENTY-SEVENTH. 

1780  General  Washington  ordered  Colonel  Jamison  that  every  precaution 
should  be  taken  to  prevent  Major  Andre  from  making  his  escape.  "  I  would 
not  wish  him  to  be  treated  with  insult,  but  he  is  to  be  most  closely  and  narrowly 
watched."  Andre  was  imprisoned  in  Mabie's  Tavern,  in  the  village  of  Tappan,  in 
charge  of  Colonel  Tallmadge,  who,  like  every  one  whom  this  British  officer  met, 
was  greatly  distressed  by  his  inevitable  fate. 

1782  The  Commander-in-chief  was  greatly  annoyed  by  the  delay  in  fixing 
the  cartel  for  the  exchange  of  prisoners.  Two  days  before  the  American  com- 
missioners had,  in  conformity  with  agreement,  met  the  British  board  at  Sir  Guy 
Carleton's  headquarters,  but  found  that  board  had  not  been  fully  authorized. 

1795  From  Mount  Vernon,  the  President  wrote  to  Edmund  Randolph,  late 
Secretary  of  State :  "  No  man  would  rejoice  more  than  I  should  to  find,  that  the 
suspicions  which  have  resulted  from  the  intercepted  letter  were  unequivocally 
and  honorably  removed."  To  Thomas  Pickering,  Secretary  of  War,  he  wrote : 
"  I  shall  not  whilst  I  have  the  honor  to  administer  the  Government,  bring  a  man 
into  any  office  of  consequence  knowingly,  whose  political  tenets  are  adverse  to 
the  measures,  which  the  general  government  are  pursuing ;  for  this,  would  be  a 
sort  of  political  suicide." 


"  While  reaching  the  summit  of  great  intellectual  heights  to  dwell  in  the  lofty  confines  of 
all,  he  concentrated  into  one  inimitable  whole  the  mental  individualities  of  the  giants  who  came 
within  his  sphere.  He  was  the  most  wonderful  combination  of  well  balanced  intellectual  en- 
dowment that  our  country  ever  produced."  Reuben  T.  Durrett  {Kentucky). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  143 

SEPTEMBER  TWENTY-EIGHTH. 

1780  The  Commander-in-chief  returned  to  Tappan,  and  summoned  a  court 
of  fourteen  officers,  General  Greene  presiding,  "  to  examine  into  the  case  of  Major 
Andre,  Adjutant  General  of  the  British  Army."  The  board  consisted  of  Major- 
Generals  Greene,  Stirling,  St.  Clair,  Lafayette,  Howe,  and  Baron  Steuben; 
Brigadier-Generals  Parsons,  James  Clinton,  King,  Glover,  Paterson,  Hand, 
Huntington,  and  Stark.    John  Laurance  was  Judge- Advocate  General. 

1781  "  Having  debarked  all  the  Troops  and  their  Baggage,  marched  and  en- 
camped them  in  front  of  the  City,  and  having  with  some  difficulty  obtained 
horses  and  waggons  sufficient  to  move  our  field  Artillery,  Intrenching  Tools,  and 
such  other  articles  as  were  indispensably  necessary,  we  commenced  our  march 
for  the  Investiture  of  the  Enemy  at  York.  The  American  Continental,  and 
French  troops  formed  one  column  on  the  left,  the  first  in  advance,  the  militia 
composed  the  right  column.  The  line  being  formed,  all  the  troops  officers  and 
men  lay  on  their  arms  all  night."     Washington's  Diary. 

1792  The  President  wished  the  Secretary  of  War  "  to  keep  the  Army  as  com- 
pact as  possible,  for  the  purpose  of  disciplining  and  training  the  men  to  such  kinds 
of  manoeuvres  and  firings,  as  are  proper  for  Indian  warfare." 


"  Little  remains  to  be  said  at  this  day  touching  the  character  of  Washington.  Upon  the  life 
of  no  personage  in  American  history  has  fallen  an  afterglow  so  clear,  so  stedfast,  and  so 
beautiful.  His  memory  has  the  felicity,  rare  among  men,  and  rarest  among  great  men,  that  it  is 
sullied  by  no  taint,  obscured  by  no  doubt,  disturbed  by  no  dispute." 

Edward  John  Phelps  ( Vermont). 

SEPTEMBER  TWENTY-NINTH. 

1780  The  board  of  general  officers  appointed  by  General  Washington  ren- 
dered a  report  that  "Major  Andre,  Adjutant  General  of  the  British  Army, 
ought  to  be  considered  as  a  Spy  from  the  Enemy,  and  that  agreeable  to  the  Law 
and  usage  of  Nations,  it  is  their  opinion  he  ought  to  suffer  death."  This  verdict 
was  promptly  approved  by  the  Commander-in-chief. 

1781  "  Spent  this  day  in  reconnoitering  the  enemy's  position,  &  determining 
upon  a  plan  of  attack  and  approach  which  must  be  done  without  the  assistance 
of  shipping  above  the  Town  as  the  Admiral  declined  hazarding  any  vessels  on 
that  station."     Washington's  Diary. 

1794  On  the  eve  of  setting  out  for  Carlisle,  to  inspect  the  troops,  Washing- 
ton wrote  his  manager  at  Mount  Vernon  "  to  give  his  sister,  Mrs.  Lewis  a  mule, 
if  she  sends  for  one.  Let  it  be  a  broke  one,  and  good,  but  not  the  very  best." 
With  the  militia  ordered  out  were  five  of  his  nephews,  two  officers  and  three 
privates, — namely,  Major  George  Lewis,  commandant;  Major  Lawrence  Lewis, 
aide  to  General  Morgan;  Howell  Lewis,  private;  and  Samuel  and  Lawrence 
Washington,  light-horsemen. 


"He  seemed  instinctively  to  look  through  men  and  know  the  extent  of  their  capacity  to 
understand,  and  their  abilities.  From  this  it  came  that  the  heads  of  departments  through,  his 
advice  were  filled  with  such  extraordinary  integrity  and  talent  for  exertion,  and  this  was  one 
circumstance  which  effectually  conduced  to  America's  triumph." 

Nathan  Strong,  D.  D.  {Connecticut). 


144  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


SEPTEMBER  THIRTIETH. 


1757  Colonel  Washington  said  in  a  letter  to  his  mother :  "  In  answer  to  my 
brother  Charles  Marriage  I  shall  observe,  that  if  there  is  no  other  objection  than 
the  one  yon  mention,  it  may  soon  be  removed :  and  that  Mrs.  Thornton  if  she 
believes  I  am  capable  of  taking  these  ungenerous  advantages,  knows  little  of 
the  principles  which  govern  my  conduct.  However  I  suppose  Mrs.  Thornton  is 
actuated  by  prudent  motives  and  therefore  would  be  safe.  If  she  will  get  any 
Instrument  of  writing  drawn  I  will  sign  it,  provided  it  does  not  effect  me  in 
other  respects  than  her  daughter's  fortune,  if  my  brother  dies  under  age." 

1779  From  West  Point,  Washington  wrote  Lafayette :  "  I  have  had  great 
pleasure  in  the  visit  which  the  Chevalier  de  la  Luzerne,  and  Monsieur  Marbois 
did  me  the  honor  to  make  at  this  camp ;  for  both  of  whom  I  have  imbibed  the 
most  favorable  impressions.  The  Chevalier  till  he  had  announced  himself  to 
Congress  did  not  choose  to  be  received  in  his  public  character." 

1781  "  The  enemy  abandoned  all  their  exterior  works  &  the  position  they 
had  taken  without  the  Town,  &  retired  within  their  Interior  works  of  defence 
in  the  course  of  last  night  —  immediately  upon  which  we  possessed  them  &  made 
those  on  our  left  very  serviceable  to  us.  We  also  began  two  enclosed  works 
on  the  right  of  Pidgeon  Hill  —  between  that  &  the  ravine  above  More's  Mill." 
Washington's  Diary. 


"  Immediately  anterior  to  the  Revolution  of  Independence,  two  great  doctrines  were  de- 
veloped, both  in  Europe  and  America,  supported  and  elaborated  by  the  teachings  of  many  great 
men.  These  doctrines  related  to  the  principles  of  liberty  as  the  purpose  of  government,  and 
the  complete  differentiation  of  its  triune  functions  as  executive,  legislative  and  judicial  depart- 
ments. At  this  time  these  doctrines  were  not  embodied  in  the  constitution  of  any  great  nation, 
but  existed  only  as  theories.  The  opportunity  came  for  their  embodiment  by  the  declaration 
of  independence.  Had  they  been  left  in  the  custody  of  doctrinaires,  however  eloquent,  they 
would  have  met  with  the  same  fate  that  befel  them  in  the  French  revolution,  where  they  were 
soon  overwhelmed  by  despotism.  What  was  needed  was  a  man  who  could  fully  grasp  the  prin- 
ciples and  apply  them  to  concrete  facts  in  constructive  statesmanship.  Washington  was  this 
o'ertowering  genius."  Major  John  W.  Powell  (New  York). 


OCTOBER  FIRST. 

1780  The  Commander-in-chief  refused  Major  Andre's  request  that  he  might 
die  the  death  of  a  soldier, —  i.  e.,  be  shot, —  saying  it  was  impossible  to  grant  it, 
though  "  he  was  more  unfortunate  than  criminal."  Washington  also  declined  to 
receive  a  commission  sent  under  flag  of  truce  by  Sir  Henry  Clinton  to  negotiate 
for  the  life  of  Andre.  There  is  a  legend  that  Mrs.  Roger  Morris  —  nie  Mary 
Philipse  —  also  pleaded  for  a  pardon.  Though  deeply  distressed,  Washington 
acted  upon  the  findings  of  the  court,  and  issued  the  order,  u  that  Major  Andre 
be  executed  to-morrow  at  12  o'clock  precisely ;  a  Batallion  of  80  Files  from  each 
wing  to  attend  the  Execution."  It  was  thought  the  only  price  of  Andre's  life  was 
the  relinquishment  of  Arnold,  which  the  British  could  not  consent  to. 

1781  General  Washington,  Colonel  Duportail,  and  several  engineers,  with  an 
advance-guard  of  fifty  men,  reconnoitered  this  afternoon  within  three  hundred 
yards  of  the  enemy's  main  works,  "which  is  the  town  of  York,"  and  deliberately 
studied  their  distribution  of  forces. 

1789  "  The  following  company  dined  here  to-day,  viz. :  Mr.  Reed  of  the  Sen- 
ate, Col0  Bland  and  Mr.  Madison  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  Mr.  Osgood 
and  his  lady,  Col.  Duer,  his  lady  and  Miss  Brown,  Col°  Lewis  Morris  and  lady, 
lady  Christian  Griffin  and  her  daughter,  and  Judge  Duane  and  Mrs.  [General 
Nathaniel]  Greene.  Dispatched  many  of  the  Com'ns  for  the  Judiciary  —  Judges, 
Marshals,  and  Attorneys  this  day,  with  the  Acts."     Washington's  Diary. 

1794  President  Washington,  accompanied  by  several  of  his  cabinet,  left  for 
Philadelphia,  for  the  scene  of  the  whisky  riots.  Passing  through  Reading  on 
the  3d,  he  reached  the  capital  of  Pennsylvania. 


Land  of  the  West!  though  passing  brief  the 
record  of  thine  age, 

Thou  hast  a  name  that  darkens  all  on  his- 
tory's wide  page ! 

Let  all  the  blast  of  fame  ring  out — thine 
shall  be  loudest  far ; 

Let  others  boast  their  satellites — thou  art  a 
planet  star. 


1  Thou  hast  a  name  whose  characters  of  light 

shall  ne'er  depart; 
'T  is  stamped  upon  the  dullest  brain,  and 

warms  the  coldest  heart ; 
A  war-cry  fit  for  any  land  where  Freedom  's 

to  be  won : 
Land  of  the  West!  it  stands  alone — it  is  thy 
Washington." 

Eliza  Cook  (England). 


145 


146  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


OCTOBER  SECOND. 


1775  "Any  officer,  non-commissioned  officer,  or  soldier,  who  shall  hereafter 
be  detected  playing  at  toss-up,  pitch,  and  hustle,  or  any  other  games  of  chance,  in 
or  near  the  camp  or  villages  bordering  on  the  encampments  shall  without  delay 
be  confined  and  punished  for  disobedience  of  orders.  The  General  does  not 
mean  by  the  above  to  discourage  sports  of  exercise  or  recreation,  he  only  means 
to  discountenance  and  punish  gaming."     Orderly  Booh  (Cambridge). 

1780  The  execution  of  Major  Andre  took  place  at  the  time  and  in  the  manner 
determined.  Dr.  Thatcher  says :  "  Not  a  murmur  or  a  sigh  ever  escaped  him  and 
the  civilities  and  attentions  bestowed  on  him  were  politely  acknowledged.  .  .  . 
The  fatal  hour  having  arrived  almost  all  our  general  and  Field  officers,  except- 
ing his  Excellency  and  his  staff  were  present  on  horseback;  melancholy  and 
gloom  pervaded  all  ranks,  and  the  scene  was  affectingly  awful." 

1782  Washington,  writing  to  General  Lincoln,  Secretary  of  War,  of  the  dis- 
content of  the  army,  said :  "  While  in  the  field,  I  think  it  may  be  kept  from 
breaking  out  into  acts  of  outrage;  but  when  we  retire  into  Winter-quarters, 
unless  the  storm  is  previously  dissipated,  I  cannot  be  at  ease  respecting  the 
consequences.    It  is  high  time  for  a  peace." 


"  The  talents  and  the  great  actions  of  General  Washington  have  secured  to  him,  in  the 
eyes  of  all  Europe,  the  truly  sublime  title  of  the  'Liberator  of  America.' n 

Count  d'Estaing  {France). 

OCTOBER  THIRD. 

1775  The  court  martial  ordered  by  General  Washington  at  Cambridge  to 
consider  the  charges  against  Benjamin  Church,  Medical  Director-General  (the 
first  traitor),  met  and  rendered  an  opinion  the  following  day.  The  findings  of 
the  court  were  submitted  by  the  General  to  Congress.  The  Commander-in- 
chief  requested  that  a  powerful  Oneida  chief,  accompanied  by  the  missionary 
Rev.  Samuel  Kirkland,  be  allowed  to  attend  the  court  martial,  adding :  "  I  have 
prepared  a  present  for  him  on  his  return." 

1789  President  Washington  issued,  through  the  "  Philadelphia  News,"  the 
first  national  thanksgiving  proclamation :  "  That  Thursday,  November  26th,  be 
devoted  by  the  people  of  the  states  to  the  service  of  that,  Great  and  Glorious 
Being,  who  is  the  beneficent  author  of  all  the  good  that  is,  or  will  be."  In  his 
diary  he  wrote :  "  Sat  to  Mr.  Rammage  near  two  hours  to-day,  who  was  drawing 
a  miniature  picture  of  me  for  Mrs.  Washington."  This  exquisite  miniature  has 
been  recently  placed  before  the  public,  having  been  lost  sight  of  for  nearly  a 
century.  It  is  set  to  be  worn  as  a  locket  in  a  dainty  gold  case  with  the  monogram 
G.  W.  and  a  lock  "  of  my  dear  Lady's  hair  "  in  the  back. 


"I  should  be  ashamed  of  my  country  if  in  further  speaking  of  what  Washington  has  done 
for  the  sentiment  of  his  country,  it  was  necessary  to  make  any  excuse  for  a  reference  to  his 
constant  love  and  fond  reverence,  as  boy  and  man,  for  his  mother.  The  filial  love  is  an  attri- 
bute of  American  manhood,  a  badge  which  invites  our  trust  and  confidence,  and  an  indispensable 
element  of  American  greatness."'  Grover  Cleveland,  President  of  the  United  States. 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  147 

OCTOBER  FOURTH. 

1777  The  Battle  of  Germantown  was  fought  this  day — the  British  under 
Howe;  the  Continentals  led  by  Washington.  The  engagement  lasted  three  hours, 
and  resulted  in  disaster  to  the  Americans,  with  a  loss  of  1000  men.  The  conflict 
was  chiefly  around  the  Chew  House,  in  which  five  companies  of  British  were  well 
protected.  Washington  wrote  to  Congress :  f  In  the  midst  of  the  most  promis- 
ing appearances,  when  everything  gave  the  most  flattering  hopes  of  victory,  the 
troops  began  suddenly  to  retreat,  and  entirely  left  the  field,  in  spite  of  every 
effort  that  could  be  made  to  rally  them." 

1778  Washington  wrote  to  Gouverneur  Morris :  "  Can  we  carry  on  the  war  much 
longer  I  Certainly  not,  unless  some  measures  can  be  devised  and  speedily  executed 
to  restore  the  credit  of  our  currency,  restrain  extorsion  and  punish  forestallers. 
Without  these  can  be  effected,  what  funds  can  stand  the  present  expenses  of  the 
Army  and  what  officer  can  bear  the  weight  of  prices  that  every  necessary  article  is 
now  got  to !  A  Rat  in  the  shape  of  a  horse  is  not  to  be  bought  for  less  than  £200." 

1794  President  Washington  spent  the  night  and  morning  at  Harrisburg,  the 
guest  of  Senator  William  Maclay,  at  the  old  Harris  Mansion.  He  received  and 
answered  an  address  from  the  Burghers,  and  gathered  all  possible  information 
regarding  the  situation  in  the  insubordinate  districts.  "  He  forded  the  Susque- 
hannah  in  a  coach,  driving  it  himself." 


"  Well  pleased,  I  give  each  anxious  care  "No  civil  strife,  or  foreign  wars  I  fear, 

To  plotting  knaves  and  coward  fools,  While  Washington  our  conq'ring  army  rules." 

John  Parke  (Delaware). 

OCTOBER  FIFTH. 

1775  The  first  action  of  Congress  upon  naval  matters  was  a  resolution  to 
instruct  the  Commander-in-chief  to  equip  one  or  more  merchantmen  for  the  pur- 
pose of  capturing  "  two  North  Country  brigs  of  no  force  known,"  which  were  re- 
ported to  have  sailed  with  supplies  for  Canada.  The  governments  of  Rhode 
Island,  Connecticut,  and  Massachusetts  Bay  several  months  previous  had  re- 
sponded to  Washington's  demands  and  equipped  small  crafts. 

1780  Washington  wrote  to  General  Cadwalader :  "  We  have  no  magazines, 
nor  money  to  form  them ;  and  in  a  little  time  we  shall  have  no  men,  if  we  had 
money  to  pay  them.  We  have  lived  upon  expedients  till  we  can  live  no  longer. 
In  a  word,  the  history  of  the  war  is  a  history  of  false  hopes  and  temporary 
devices,  instead  of  system  and  economy. n 

1782  Congress  ordered  Major-General  Gates  to  rejoin  the  army,  and  take 
such  command  "  as  the  Commander-in-chief  shall  direct."  He  this  day  reported 
to  Washington  at  Verplanck's  Point;  it  was  their  first  meeting  since  the  dis- 
astrous Battle  of  Camden.  The  interview  excited  the  curiosity  of  the  officers  of 
the  French  and  Continental  armies,  and  all  admired  the  courage  with  which 
Gates  bore  his  misfortunes,  and  the  remarkable  freedom  from  restraint  of  both 
gentlemen. 


"  Nor  is  the  greatness  of  Washington  to  be  attributed  in  any  degree  to  that  good  fortune  to 
which  so  many  military  commanders  have  owed  their  fame  and  success.  His  whole  life  was  one 
of  constant  difficulty  and  frequent  disappointments."  '     Cyrus  E.  Edmonds  (England). 


148  GEOEGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

OCTOBER  SIXTH. 

1770  Colonel  Washington,  with  Dr.  Craik  and  three  negroes,  began  a  jonrney 
of  nine  weeks  to  the  Ohio.  It  was  for  the  purpose  of  locating  lands  granted  by 
the  colony  to  the  officers  and  soldiers  who  had  served  against  the  French  and 
Indians.  He  was  constantly  urging  the  Executive  of  Virginia  to  complete  the 
grant  and  fulfil  the  promises  of  the  colony. 

1777  The  stragglers  from  the  field  of  Germantown  reached  the  encampment 
at  Pennybackers  Mills.  The  following  morning  the  Commander-in-chief  received 
a  committee  of  Quakers  appointed  at  the  yearly  meeting  of  Friends  in  Philadel- 
phia, for  the  purpose  of  laying  before  "  William  Howe,  General  of  the  British 
Army  and  George  Washington,  General  of  the  American  Army,"  their  testimony 
against  war,  and  explaining  their  position  as  noncombatants.  To  prevent  the 
peacemakers  from  doing  mischief,  Washington  sent  them  under  guard  to  Potts- 
ville  for  a  few  days. 

1781  "  Before  Morning  the  Trenches  were  in  such  forwardness  as  to  cover 
the  men  from  the  enemy's  fire.  The  work  was  executed  with  so  much  secresy 
and  despatch  that  the  enemy  were,  I  believe,  totally  ignorant  of  our  labor  till  the 
light  of  the  Morning  discovered  it  to  them."     Washington's  Diary. 


"  The  day  is  broke,  my  boys,  push  on!  "  When  he  commands,  we  will  obey, 

And  follow,  follow  Washington.  Through  rain  or  sun,  by  night  or  day, 

>T  is  he  that  leads  the  way,  my  boys,  Determined  to  be  free,  my  boys, 

;T  is  he  that  leads  the  way.  Determined  to  be  free." 

Revolutionary  Song  (1781). 

OCTOBER  SEVENTH. 

1780  "  The  main  body  of  the  army,  the  forage  about  Orange  town  and  the 
lower  country  being  exhausted,  moved  this  morning,  and  is  now  arrived  here 
[Paramus].  We  have  had  a  cold,  wet  and  tedious  march,  on  account  of  the  feeble 
state  of  our  Cattle,  and  have  not  a  drop  of  rum  to  give  the  troops."  Washington 
to  Congress. 

1785  Jean  Antoine  Houdon,  the  eminent  French  sculptor,  made  a  life-cast  of 
Washington's  head,  which  he  left  at  Mount  Vernon.  This  plaster,  which  happily 
was  not  taken  to  France,  must  forever  remain  undisputed  the  head  of  Wash- 
ington. The  beautiful  portrait  on  the  domestic  letter-stamp  is  after  Houdon. 
From  molds,  when  in  America,  the  artist  produced  the  head  from  which  he 
modeled  the  marble  statue  at  Richmond  and  that  plaster  bust  is  now  in  the 
"  Salle  Houdon,"  Louvre,  Paris. 

1837  The  remains  of  George  Washington  and  Martha,  his  wife,  were  removed 
from  the  old  tomb  at  Mount  Vernon  and  placed  in  white  marble  sarcophagi  in 
the  vault  erected  on  the  spot  selected  by  Washington  and  "  built  of  brick,"  as 
directed  in  his  will.  On  the  centenary  of  his  birth,  Congress  the  second  time  re- 
quested that  his  body  be  placed  in  the  crypt  under  the  Capitol  which  was  provided 
and  intended  for  the  resting-place  o£  the  Father  of  His  Country. 


"  Sweet  be  thy  slumbers,  chief  of  Vernon.  Thy  soul  was  like  the  beam  of  heaven,  thine  arm 
was  like  a  falling  tower,  thy  deeds  were  mighty  deeds  of  heroes.  To  thy  fame  thy  country  shall 
raise  a  stone  on  high  to  speak  to  future  times  with  its  grey  head  of  moss." 

Rev.  John  Blair  Linn,  A.  M.  {Pennsylvania.) 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  149 

OCTOBER  EIGHTH. 

1760  Colonel  Washington,  at  Williamsburg,  Va.,  gave  a  theater-party,  his 
tickets  amounting  to  seven  pounds,  eleven  shillings,  and  three  pence.  Through- 
out his  career  he  was  a  great  lover  of  amusements  and  found  frequent  relaxation 
at  the  theater. 

1778  General  Washington,  from  headquarters,  Colonel  John  BrinkerhofFs 
residence,  Fishkill,  visited  the  hospital  at  the  "Robinson  House,"  inquiring 
minutely  into  the  condition  of  the  sick  and  wounded.  His  manner  and  sym- 
pathy were  very  comforting  to  the  inmates,  and  his  visit  was  unannounced  and 
without  ceremony,  that  he  might  better  judge  of  its  management.  There  was  a 
rumor  that  the  enemy  had  determined  to  leave  the  city  of  New  York,  but  Wash- 
ington did  not  think  they  would  venture  to  attack  the  French  fleet  at  Boston, 
under  Count  d'Estaing,  as  at  this  advanced  season  there  was  great  danger  in 
taking  a  fleet  round  Cape  Cod. 

1785  Washington  said:  "The  Agricultural  Society,  lately  established  in 
Philadelphia,  promises  extensive  usefulness,  if  it  is  prosecuted  with  spirit.  I 
wish  most  sincerely  that  every  State  in  the  Union  would  institute  similar  ones : 
and  that  these  societies  would  correspond  fully  and  freely  with  each  other  and 
communicate  all  useful  discoveries  founded  on  practice,  with  a  due  attention  to 
climate,  soil  and  seasons,  to  the  public." 


"  The  birthday  of  Washington  shall  be  an  eternal  festival  wherever  a  free  man  speaks  the 
English  tongue."  William  Charles  Macready  {England). 

OCTOBER  NINTH. 

1774  Washington  wrote  Captain  Mackenzie,  who  had  served  under  him  dur- 
ing the  French  war,  then  in  the  British  army  at  Boston :  "  Permit  me  with  the 
freedom  of  a  friend,  to  express  my  sorrow  that  fortune  should  place  you  in  a  ser- 
vice, that  must  fix  curses  to  the  latest  posterity  upon  the  contrivers,  and,  if  suc- 
cess (which,  by  the  by,  is  impossible)  accompanies  it,  execrations  upon  all  those, 
who  have  been  instrumental  in  the  execution." 

1777  The  army  moved  from  Pennybackers  Mills  and  camped  near  the  Bap- 
tist meeting-house  in  Montgomery  township.  General  Francis  Nash,  of  North 
Carolina,  who  fell  at  Germantown,  was  buried  with  military  honors  in  the 
grounds  of  the  church.  His  last  words  were:  u  From  the  first  dawn  of  the  Revo- 
lution, I  have  been  on  the  side  of  Liberty  and  my  country."  The  Commander- 
in-chief  requested  "  All  officers  whose  circumstances  will  admit  of  it,  will  attend 
and  pay  their  respects  to  a  brave  man  who  died  in  defense  of  his  country ." 

1781  "  Two  or  three  of  our  batteries  being  now  prepared  to  open  on  the 
town,  his  Excellency,  George  Washington,  put  the  match  to  the  first  gun,  and  a 
furious  discharge  of  cannon  and  mortars  immediately  followed,  and  Earl  Corn- 
wallis  has  received  his  first  Salutation." 


"His  unaffected  piety,  his  uncommon  virtues  have  caused  him  to  be  revered  in  every  cor- 
ner of  the  earth,  and  ranked  him  among  the  best  of  generals,  the  best  of  statesmen,  the  best  of 
men."  John  Andrews,  D.  D.  (Maryland.) 

10* 


150  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


OCTOBER  TENTH. 


1784  Writing  to  Governor  Benjamin  Harrison  upon  the  importance  of  in- 
ternal improvements,  Washington  urged  him  to  stimulate  the  Assembly  to  pro- 
mote inland  navigation,  and  open  communication  between  the  Potomac,  the 
James,  and  the  northwestern  rivers  and  lakes.  He  foresaw  and  again  predicted 
the  mingling  of  the  waters  of  Lake  Erie  and  the  Hudson  through  the  means  of 
a  canal. 

1787  Washington  said:  "The  Constitution  that  is  submitted,  is  not  free 
from  imperfections,  but  there  is  as  few  radical  defects  in  it  as  could  well  be  ex- 
pected, considering  the  heterogenous  mass  of  which  the  Convention  was  com- 
posed and  the  diversity  of  interests  that  are  to  be  attended  to." 

1789  "  I  set  off  about  9  o'clock  in  my  barge  to  visit  Mr.  Prince's  fruit  gar- 
dens and  shrubberies  at  Flushing  on  Long  Island.  The  shrubs  were  trifling  and 
the  flowers  not  numerous.  The  inhabitants  of  this  place  showed  us  what  respect 
they  could,  by  making  the  best  use  of  one  cannon  to  salute.  On  our  return,  we 
stopped  at  the  seats  of  General  and  Mr.  Gouverneur  Morris,  and  viewed  a  barn, 
of  which  I  have  heard  the  latter. speak  much,  belonging  to  his  farm,  but  it  was 
not  of  a  construction  to  strike  my  fancy,  nor  did  the  conveniences  of  it  at  all 
answer  their  cost."     Washington's  Diary. 


"Let  us  then,  discarding  all  inferior  strife,  hold  up  to  our  children  the  example  of  Wash- 
ington as  the  symbol,  not  merely  of  wisdom,  but  of  purity  and  truth." 

Charles  Francis  Adams  (Massachusetts). 

OCTOBER  ELEVENTH. 

1755  Colonel  Washington,  from  Winchester,  wrote  to  Governor  Dinwiddie 
of  his  many  perplexities  in  organizing  the  defense  of  the  frontier.  "  No  orders 
are  obeyed,  but  what  a  party  of  soldiers,  or  my  own  drawn  sword  enforces ; 
without  this  a  single  horse,  for  the  most  urgent  occasion  cannot  be  had.  How- 
ever I  have  given  up  none,  where  his  Majesty's  service  requires  the  contrary, 
nor  will  I  do  it  unless  they  execute  what  they  threaten, '  to  blow  out  my  brains.'  n 

1786  "Allowed  all  my  People  to  go  to  the  races  in  Alexandria  on  one  of 
three  days  as  best  comported  with  their  respective  businesses  j  leaving  careful 
persons  on  the  plantations. "     Washington's  Diary. 

1794  The  President  informed  the  Secretary  of  State  that  he  had  determined 
to  remain  at  Carlisle,  Pa.,  where  he  was  the  guest  of  Colonel  Ephraim  Blaine, 
until  he  saw  the  troops  in  motion,  and  he  believed  the  insurgents  were  scared. 
It  was  rumored  that  while  they  scorned  the  militia,  they  greatly  dreaded  Daniel 
Morgan  and  his  Virginia  woodsmen.  This  officer  was  told  "  to  impress  upon 
the  army  that  they  were  agents  of  civil  power."  During  his  stay  Washington 
reviewed  the  troops,  became  familiar  with  the  situation,  and  entertained  at  din- 
ner the  Governors  of  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey  with  their  families. 


"Your  influence  over  your  countrymen,  in  public  affairs,  and  in  the  many  services  and 
virtues  which  gave  it  to  you,  placed  and  maintained  you  upon  that  mighty  eminence,  from 
which  the  man  who  happens  to  be  born  every  three  or  four  hundred  years,  looks  down  with 
lofty  pride  and  tranquillity  upon  kings  and  great  dignitaries.  Individuals  and  nations  look  up 
with  respect  and  admiration ;  and  regret,  for  the  happiness  and  honor  of  humanity,  he  does  not 
command  the  whole  world."  Marquis  de  la  Bouarie  (France). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  151 

OCTOBER  TWELFTH. 

1781  "  Began  our  second  parallel  within  300  yards  of  the  enemy s  lines  and 
got  it  so  well  advanced  in  the  course  of  the  night  as  to  cover  the  men  before 
morning.  I  cannot  but  acknowledge  the  infinite  obligations  I  am  under  to  His 
Excellency,  the  Count  de  Rochambeau,  the  Marquis  St.  Simon,  and  the  other 
general  officers,  for  the  assistance  which  they  afford  me.  The  experience  of  many 
of  those  gentlemen,  in  the  business  before  us,  is  of  the  utmost  advantage  in  the 
present  operation.  They  seem  actuated  bj'  one  spirit,  that  of  supporting  the 
honor  of  the  allied  arms,  and  pushing  their  approaches  with  the  utmost  vigor." 
Washington's  Diary. 

1783  Washington  began  to  feel  restive  under  delays,  as  is  indicated  in  this 
extract  from  a  letter  to  Marquis  de  Chastellux:  "Having  the  appearance,  and 
indeed  the  enjoyment  of  peace,  without  a  final  declaration  of  it,  I,  who  am  only 
waiting  for  the  ceremonials,  or  till  the  British  forces  shall  have  taken  leave  of 
New  York,  am  placed  in  an  awkward  and  disagreeable  situation,  it  being  my 
anxious  desire  to  quit  the  walks  of  public  life,  and  under  the  shadow  of  my  own 
vine  and  my  own  fig  tree  to  seek  that  relaxation,  which  a  mind,  that  has  been 
constantly  upon  the  stretch  for  more  than  eight  years,  stands  so  much  in  need  of." 


"  His  sword  a  flame  before  the  eye  "  His  speech  a  rocket  arching  high 

Of  red  and  furious  handed  Mars.  And  blossoming  to  fadeless  stars." 

John  Henry  Boner  (South  Carolina). 

OCTOBER  THIRTEENTH. 

1780  General  Washington  said :  "  The  want  of  provisions  is  a  clog  to  our 
operations  in  every  quarter.  We  have  several  times,  in  the  course  of  this  cam- 
paign, been  without  either  Bread  or  Meat  and  have  never  had  more  than  four  or 
five  days  before  hand."  He  wrote  to  Colonel  Laurens,  from  Preakness :  "  But 
for  the  egregious  folly  or  bewildered  conception,  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Jameson, 
who  seemed  lost  in  astonishment,  and  not  to  have  known  what  he  was  doing,  I 
should  undoubtedly  have  got  Arnold.  Andre  has  met  his  fate,  and  with  that  for- 
titude, which  was  to  be  expected  from  an  accomplished  man  and  gallant  officer." 

1789  Congress  having  adjourned,  President  Washington  resolved,  after  con- 
sulting his  cabinet,  to  make  a  tour  through  the  Northeastern  States.  He  re- 
ceived at  the  Executive  residence,  New  York,  "  a  delegation  of  the  people  called 
Quakers,"  and  spoke  to  them  at  length  upon  religious  freedom  in  this  country. 

1792  The  corner-stone  of  the  Executive  Mansion,  familiarly  called  "The 
White  House,"  was  laid  with  masonic  and  civic  ceremonies  upon  the  site  selected 
by  Washington.  It  is  said  to  have  been  so  called  in  compliment  to  Mrs.  Wash- 
ington— the  name  of  her  home  on  the  Pamunkey  River. 


"  White  peaks  of  mountains  living  in  the  blue  "  Such  grandeur  shall  be  theirs  of  white, 
And  calm  cathedral  of  the  sky,  Silent,  yet  speaking  to  each  age  as  born 

Whose  constellations  walk  in  saintly  hue,  Of  one  whose  manhood  grows  from  height  to 

A  Sabbath  silence  speaking  thoughts  most  height, 

high.  His  fame  a  bright  star  in  our  country's  morn ." 

James  B.  Cowdin. 


152  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


OCTOBER  FOURTEENTH. 


1774  Colonel  Washington  approved  of  the  "  Declaration  of  Colonial  Eights," 
and,  later,  the  "Address  to  the  King,"  " Address  to  the  People  of  Canada,"  and  the 
"Address  to  the  People  of  Great  Britain."  There  is  no  record  that  he  either 
spoke  npon  or  drafted  these  protests,  which  immediately  commanded  the  ad- 
miration of  the  world,  and  remain  monuments  of  the  wisdom  and  statesmanship 
of  the  first  Colonial  Congress. 

1781  The  enemy's  advance  works  were  taken  at  Yorktown — the  left  by  the 
French  under  Baron  Viom6nil,  and  the  right  by  the  American  Light  Infantry 
under  Marquis  de  Lafayette.  The  Commander-in-chief  said :  "  The  bravery  dis- 
played by  the  attacking  troops  was  emulous  and  praiseworthy.  Few  cases  have 
exhibited  stronger  proofs  of  Intripidity,  coolness  and  firmness  than  were  shown 
upon  this  occasion." 

1789  "Wrote  several  letters  to  France,  and  about  7  o'clock  in  the  afternoon 
made  an  informal  visit  with  Mrs.  Washington  to  the  Count  de  Moustier  and 
Madame  de  Brehan,  to  take  leave  of  them.  Into  the  hands  of  the  former  I  com- 
mitted these  letters,  viz:  to  the  Count  d'Estaing,  Count  de  Rochambeau,  the 
Marq's  de  la  Fayette  and  the  Marq's  de  la  Rouirie."     Washington's  Diary. 


"I  have  no  need  to  speak  of  General  Washington's  composure  ;  it  is  well  known,  but  this 
great  man  is  a  thousand  times  more  noble  at  the  head  of  his  army  than  at  any  other  time." 

Baron  Cromot  du  Bourg  {France). 

OCTOBER  FIFTEENTH. 

1777  General  Washington  received  the  celebrated  Duche*  letter, — brought  to 
him  by  Mrs.  Hugh  Ferguson,  of  Graham  Park, — which  he  at  once  transmitted  to 
Congress.  The  Orderly  Book  of  this  date  says :  "  The  General  has  the  respected 
pleasure  of  informing  the  Army  of  the  success  of  the  troops  under  the  command 
of  General  Gates  over  General  Burgoyne's  army  on  the  7th.  The  second  battle  of 
Stillwater." 

1785  "After  candles  were  lighted  George  Aug.  Washington  and  Frances 
Bassett  were  married  by  Mr.  Grayson."  The  day  before,  the  chariot  went  up  to 
Alexandria  "  for  Miss  Salley  Ramsay  &  Miss  Kitty  Washington  to  be  Brides- 
maids," and  "Mr.  Burwell  Bassett  &  Mr.  George  Washington  went  to  the  Clerks 
office  and  thence  to  Colo  Masons  for  a  License  &  returned  to  dinner  having  ac- 
complished their  business."  The  sculptor  Houdon  was  at  this  wedding.  These 
events  are  noted  in  Washington's  diary. 

1789  President  Washington,  in  his  coach,  accompanied  by  Major  Jackson  and 
Tobias  Lear,  his  secretaries,  and  a  modest  retinue,  set  out  from  New  York  on  his 
tour  through  the  Northeastern  States.  He  was  escorted  beyond  the  city  limits 
by  Chief  Justice  Jay,  Secretary  Hamilton,  and  General  Knox.  He  reached  Rye 
that  evening,  staying  overnight  at  Mrs.  Haviland's,  "  a  very  neat  and  decent  Inn." 


"He  made  no  mistakes  ;  there  are  no  black  spots  on  his  reputation.  For- sound  judgment, 
integrity,  symmetry  and  commanding  dignity  of  character  he  has  no  superior  among  great  men. 
He  feared  God  and  loved  righteousness.  His  sole  ambition,  his  highest  happiness  was  to  do  his 
duty  and  to  serve  his  country."  Philip  Schaff,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.  {Switzerland). 


PLASTER    CAST    OF    WASHINGTON. 
By  Houdon. 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  153 

OCTOBER   SIXTEENTH. 

1785  Washington  wrote  from  Mount  Vernon  thanking  Mr.  A.  Donaldson 
for  "  the  model  of  your  Hippopotamus."  This  was  a  machine  for  lifting  fertiliz- 
ing mud  from  the  bottoms  of  rivers,  which  Washington  was  desirous  of  experi- 
menting with  on  the  Potomac.  His  attention  had  been  called  to  this  dredging- 
machine  by  Mr.  Hollingshead  of  Maryland,  and  he  had  become  much  interested 
in  its  probable  usefulness. 

1789  "  Destructive  evidence  of  British  cruelty  are  yet  visible  both  in  Nor- 
walk  and  Fairfield  as  there  are  chimneys  of  many  burnt  houses  standing  in  them 
yet.  The  principal  export  from  Norwalk  and  Fairfield  is  Horses  and  Cattle, 
salted  Beef  and  Pork,  Lumber  and  Indian  Corn  and  in  a  small  degree  Wheat  and 
Flour."     Washington's  Diary. 

1792  "Let  the  hands  at  the  Mansion  Hous  grub  well,  and  perfectly  pre- 
pare the  old  clover  lot,  preparatory  for  grass,  with  which  it  is  to  be  laid  down. 
When  I  say  grub  well,  I  mean  that  everything  which  is  not  to  remain  as  trees, 
should  be  taken  up  by  the  roots."     Washington  to  his  manager. 


u  George,  on  thy  virtues  often  have  I  dwelt,         "Yet  thou  'rt  a  man — although,  perhaps,  the 
And  still  the  theme  is  grateful  to  mine  ear ;  first ; 

Thy  gold  let  chemists  ten  times  over  melt,  But  man  at  best  is  but  a  being  frail ; 

From  dross  and  base  alloy  they  '11  find  it       And  since  with  error  human  nature  's  cursed, 
clear.  I  marvel  not  that  thou  shouldst  sometimes 

fail."  Philip  Freneau  (New  Jersey). 

OCTOBER   SEVENTEENTH. 

1781  u  At  ten  o'clock  the  enemy  beat  a  parley,  and  Lord  Cornwallis  pro- 
posed a  cessation  of  hostilities  for  24  hours,  that  the  commissioners  might  meet 
at  the  house  of  a  Mr.  Moore  (in  the  rear  of  our  first  parallel)  to  settle  terms  for 
the  surrender  of  the  posts  of  York  and  Gloucester."     Washington's  Diary. 

1789  President  Washington  reached  New  Haven,  and  remained  until  Mon- 
day morning.  He  says :  u  I  received  the  compliment  of  a  visit  from  the  Gov- 
ernor, Mr.  Huntington,  the  Lieutenant-Governor,  Mr.  Wolcott,  and  the  Mayor, 
Mr.  Roger  Sherman.  The  city  of  New  Haven  occupies  a  good  deal  of  ground, 
but  is  thinly,  though  regularly  laid  out  and  built.  The  number  of  Souls  in  it 
are  said  to  be  about  4,000.  There  is  an  Episcopal  Church,  and  3  Congregational 
Meeting-Houses,  and  a  College,  in  which  there  are  at  this  time  about  120  Students 
under  auspices  of  Doctor  Styles." 

1794  At  Cumberland,  Md.,  the  President  reviewed  the  militia  under  General 
Lee.  Here  on  the  uplands  of  the  Alleghanies  forty  years  before  as  a  Colonial 
officer  he  had  disciplined  and  encouraged  his  pioneer  soldiers  to  meet  the  wily 
savage  foe;  here  in  active  service  and  command  he  had  obtained  his  military 
education. 


"  Washington's  consistency  was  eminent.  He  united  the  soldier,  the  statesman,  and  the 
citizen.  No  act  belonged  to  one  part  of  his  character  while  it  did  not  agree  with  the  whole. 
No  plea  in  one  profession  excused  the  manners  in  another.  His  character  was  equally  good, 
whether  he  directed  the  Soldier,  honored  the  Laws,  or  blessed  a  Citizen." 

William  Bently  (Massachusetts,  1799). 


154  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


OCTOBER  EIGHTEENTH. 


1776  The  Commander-in-chief  selected  the  Polish  Count  Thaddeus  Kosci- 
usko "  Engineer  of  Continental  Service/7  with  the  rank  of  colonel,  for  which 
position  he  was  well  equipped,  having  graduated  at  the  military  colleges  of 
Warsaw  and  Versailles.  Washington  asked  him  when  he  reached  Cambridge 
what  he  could  do.  He  replied :  "  Try  me  j  I  am  ready  to  do  anything."  Con- 
gress, on  the  recommendation  of  Washington  seven  years  later,  made  him 
brigadier-general,  "for  long,  faithful  and  honorable  service  in  the  American 
Army." 

1777  From  Wentz  House,  Worcester,  Pa.,  Washington  thus  announced  to 
his  troops  the  surrender  of  Burgoyne  at  Saratoga  on  the  14th :  u  Let  every  face 
brighten  and  every  heart  expand  with  grateful  joy  and  praise  to  the  Supreme 
Disposer  of  all  events,  who  has  granted  us  this  signal  success."  A  service  of 
thanksgiving  was  ordered  at  five  o'clock. 

1781  Two  American  commissioners,  Colonel  Laurens  and  Viscount  deNoailles, 
appointed  by  General  Washington,  and  Colonel  Dundas  and  Major  Ross,  repre- 
senting Lord  Cornwallis,  spent  the  day  drafting  "Articles  of  Capitulation  "  at  the 
Moore  House,  Temple  Farm,  Yorktown.    The  old  house  is  still  standing. 


"  My  brave  fellows,  let  no  sensation  of  satisfaction  for  the  triumphs  you  have  gained  induce 
you  to  insult  your  fallen  enemy.  Let  no  shouting,  no  clamorous  huzzahing,  increase  their  mor- 
tification.    Posterity  will  huzzah  for  us." 

Washington's  address  to  his  troops  at  the  surrender  of  YorJctown. 

OCTOBER   NINETEENTH. 

1781  "  In  the  morning  early,  I  had  them  [the  articles  of  surrender]  copied 
and  sent  word  to  Cornwallis  that  I  expected  to  have  them  signed  at  eleven  o'clock 
and  the  Garrison  would  march  out  at  two  o'clock,  both  of  which  was  accordingly 
done."  At  twelve  o'clock,  the  Americans  on  the  right,  the  French  on  the  left, 
formed  a  line  which  extended  over  a  mile.  The  captured  garrison  filed  out  be- 
tween the  two  silent  armies  with  shouldered  arms,  colors  cased,  and  drums  beat- 
ing a  British  march,  an  adaptation  of  that  popular  air,  "  The  World  is  Turned 
Upside  Down."  General  O'Hara,  representing  Lord  Cornwallis,  who  was  too  ill 
to  appear,  surrendered  his  sword  to  Major-General  Lincoln,  who  conducted  the 
British  troops  to  a  large  field,  where  their  arms  were  stacked. 

1789  President  Washington  breakfasted  at  Wallingford,  Conn.  He  said : 
"At  this  place  we  seethe  white  mulberry  growing,  raised  from  the  seed,  to  feed 
the  silk-worm.  We  also  saw  samples  of  lustring  (exceedingly  good)  which  had 
been  manufactured  from  the  cocoon  raised  in  this  town,  and  silk  thread  very 
fine.  This,  except  the  weaving  is  the  work  of  private  families,  without  interfer- 
ence with  other  business,  and  is  likely  to  turn  out  a  beneficial  amusement." 


Washington  is  so  great  a  figure  of  an  heroical  patriot  that  one  may  not  venture  to  touch 

dally  when  belonging  to  the  count 
merican  Pericles." 
Alexander  Rizo  Rangabe  {Greece). 


upon  his  glorious  memory  without  deep  reflection,  and  especially  when  belonging  to  the  country 
where  had  lived  in  ancient  times  the  great  original  of  the  American  Pericles." 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  155 


OCTOBER   TWENTIETH. 


1780  General  Washington  approved  of  Colonel  Henry  Lee's  plan  for  the  cap- 
ture of  Benedict  Arnold,  then  in  New  York,  and  agreed  to  give  the  stated  reward 
if  he  be  secured  alive.  A  brave  non-commissioned  officer,  Sergeant-Major  John 
Champs,  of  Lee's  Legion,  deserted  for  that  purpose,  but  the  project  failed  owing 
to  Arnold's  suddenly  changing  his  quarters.  Sergeant  Champs  came  near  losing 
his  life  when  deserting. 

1781  The  Commander-in-chief,  at  Yorktown,  in  a  general  order,  congratulated 
the  officers  and  men  of  his  army  upon  "  the  glorious  event  of  yesterday."  He 
paroled  the  British  officers,  provided  subsistence  for  prisoners,  and  ordered  a 
service  of  thanksgiving  conducted  by  all  chaplains  in  the  army. 

1789  President  Washington,  at  Hartford,  examined  with  interest  the  woolen 
manufactures.  He  says :  "  Their  broad  cloth's  are  not  of  the  first  quality  as  yet, 
but  they  are  good ;  as  are  their  coatings,  cassimeres,  serges,  and  everlastings. 
Of  the  first,  that  is  broadcloth,  I  ordered  a  suit  to  be  sent  to  me  at  New  York, 
and  of  the  latter  a  whole  piece  to  make  breeches  for  my  servants."  In  January 
he  notes  that  at  Mrs.  Washington's  levee,  "  I  was  dressed  in  a  suit  of  clothes 
made  at  the  woolen  manufactory  at  Hartford,  as  the  buttons  also  were." 


"  He  never  trifled  away  his  moments,  but  redeemed  his  time  with  a  vigilance  which  was  not 
less  remarkable  than  the  other  traits  in  his  extraordinary  character." 

Samuel  Greene  Arnold  (Bhode  Island). 

OCTOBER  TWENTY-FIRST. 

1781  "The  prisoners  began  their  march  [to  Winchester,  Virginia,  Fort 
Frederick,  and  Frederickstown,  Maryland],  and  I  set  out  for  the  Fleet  to  pay  my 
respects  and  offer  my  thanks  to  the  Admiral  for  his  important  services."  Wash- 
ington's Diary.  Washington  wrote  Congress :  "  Nothing  could  equal  the  zeal  of 
our  allies,  but  the  emulating  spirit  of  the  American  officers,  whose  ardor  would 
not  suffer  their  exertions  to  be  exceeded." 

1789  The  President,  at  Springfield,  Mass.,  examined  the  Continental  stores. 
He  remarks :  "  There  is  great  equality  in  the  people  of  this  State.  Few  or  no 
opulent  men  and  no  poor  ones.  Great  similitude  in  their  buildings."  The  fol- 
lowing day,  at  Worcester,  he  was  requested  to  leave  his  coach  and  ride  through 
the  town  on  horseback,  so  that  he  might  be  better  seen  by  the  enthusiastic 
people. 

1794  On  leaving  Bedford,  Pa.,  the  President  complimented  Henry  Lee,  com- 
mander-in-chief of  the  militia :  "  Convey  to  my  fellow  citizens  in  arms  my  warm 
acknowledgments  for  the  readiness,  with  which  they  have  seconded  me  in  the 
most  delicate  and  momentous  duty  the  chief  magistrate  of  a  free  people  can  have 
to  perform." 


"Ah,  hero  of  our  younger  race !  "Father  and  leader,  prophet  sure 

Great  builder  of  a  temple  new!  Whose  will  in  vast  works  shall  endure, 

Ruler,  who  sought  no  lordly  place !  How  shall  we  praise  him  on  this  day  of  days, 

Warrior,  who  sheathed  the  sword  he  drew !      Great  son  of  fame  who  has  no  need  of  praise  I " 

Harriet  Monroe  {Illinois,  at  Chicago,  1892). 


156  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


OCTOBER  TWENTY-SECOND. 


1780  "Washington  wrote  to  General  Greene :  "  Congress  having  been  pleased 
to  authorize  me  to  appoint  an  officer  to  the  command  of  the  Southern  army,  in 
the  room  of  Major-Gen eral  Gates,  till  an  inquiry  can  be  had  into  his  conduct  as 
therein  directed,  I  have  thought  proper  to  choose  you  for  that  purpose." 

1782  The  French  allies  crossed  the  Hudson  at  West  Point,  leaving  for  Bos- 
ton, to  embark  early  in  December  for  the  West  Indies.  There  were  sad  partings 
between  these  veterans  who  had  learned  to  respect  and  love  one  another.  Toge- 
ther they  had  endured  the  fatigue  of  long  marches  and  stood  side  by  side  at 
Yorktown.  Let  every  American  heart  cherish  the  memory  of  the  French  who 
fought  for  us,  and  the  unfortunate  King  and  Queen  our  truest  friends. 

1786  General  Washington  offered  to  adopt  his  namesake,  the  eldest  son  of 
General  Greene,  and  "  to  give  him  as  good  an  education  as  this  country,  (I  mean 
North  America),  will  afford  j  and  will  bring  him  up  to  either  of  the  genteel  pro- 
fessions that  his  friends  may  choose,  or  his  own  inclination  may  lead  him  to  pur- 
sue j  at  my  own  cost  and  charge." 


"  Washington  in  short  was  always  and  everywhere  great.  Great  in  peace,  as  he  was  great  in 
war.  Great  in  council  as  he  was  great  in  action.  In  every  circumstance,  every  department, 
civil  or  military,  he  was  great,  and  as  hath  been  observed,  he  was  good  as  he  was  great.  Rome  had 
her  Caesar,  Greece  her  Alexander,  Sweden  her  Charles  XII. ;  but  we,  and  of  this  as  our  superior 
glory  we  will  ever  boast ;  We  have  had  our  Washington." 

Colonel  Isaac  Boberdeau  (France). 

OCTOBER  TWENTY-THIRD. 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief  took  possession  of  Miller's  House,  White 
Plains.  Since  the  evacuation  of  Long  Island  the  army  had  suffered  greatly  from 
fevers  and  lack  of  comforts,  and  the  General  was  anxious  to  see  them  settled  in 
winter  quarters.  In  the  two  days'  march  from  Harlem  he  was  continuously  in 
the  saddle,  superintending  the  selection  of  camps  and  detailing  squads  to  begin 
works  of  defense. 

1786  Washington  entertained  at  Mount  Vernon  William  Drayton  and  Ralph 
Izard,  from  South  Carolina.  He  gave  them  a  most  interesting  and  exhaustive  ac- 
count of  his  acquaintance  with  Arnold,  which  Tobias  Lear  preserved  in  his 
journal,  showing  that  the  slightest  suspicion  of  Arnold's  integrity  had  never  en- 
tered Washington's  mind. 

1793  On  account  of  yellow  fever,  the  President  decided  not  to  take  his  family 
to  Philadelphia.  He  wrote  to  the  Attorney-General :  "All  idea  of  furnishing  and 
keeping  a  house  myself,  being  unprovided  with  servants,  or  means  of  any  sort, 
ought  to  be  banished  entirely,  and  some  rooms,  even  in  a  tavern  (if  I  could  be 
retired  in  them,)  taken  in  preference." 


°  It  was  reserved  for  Washington,  ;n  the  midst  of  civil  war,  in  every  emergency,  both  in  ad- 
verse and  prosperous  circumstances,  to  practice  the  great  principles  of  republics ;  a  subordina- 
tion of  the  military  to  the  civil  authority,  and  finally  to  seize  the  first  opportunity  that  offered 
to  lay  his  wreaths  and  his  power  on  the  altar  of  an  emancipated  country." 

James  Barbour  (  Virginia). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  157 

OCTOBER  TWENTY-FOURTH. 

1775  The  Commander-in-chief  notified  Congress  of  the  threats  against  all 
ports,  and  the  destruction  of  Falmouth,  "  an  outrage  exceeding  in  barbarity  and 
cruelty  every  hostile  act  practiced  among  civilized  nations."  u  Signed  contract 
with  one  John  Fisk  for  a  supply  of  powder,  not  exceeding  twenty  tons,  at  four 
shillings  a  pound ;  to  be  delivered  at  Newburyport  or  some  convenient  post  to 
Cambridge."    Washington's  Diary. 

1789  President  Washington  was  received  at  Cambridge  with  distinguished 
honors.  He  reviewed  a  body  of  militia  on  the  commons,  from  the  spot  where, 
fourteen  years  before,  he  had  first  seen  the  Continental  army.  Lieutenant-Gov- 
ernor Samuel  Adams,  with  the  Executive  Council  of  Massachusetts,  the  City 
Government,  and  many  distinguished  gentlemen,  met  and  welcomed  him  to  Bos- 
ton. Fifty  civic  societies  followed  in  his  train,  and  his  military  escort  was  a 
thousand  strong,  commanded  by  General  Brooks.  He  was  mounted  on  a  white 
horse,  and  passed  under  a  triumphal  arch  bearing  the  inscription,  u  The  man 
who  unites  all  hearts."  Shouts,  smiles,  and  tears  greeted  him  through  the  streets 
of  the  city  he  had  delivered. 


"  Modern  history  has  not  so  spotless  a  character  to  commemorate.  It  is  the  highest  glory 
of  England  to  have  given  birth,  even  amid  Transatlantic  wilds,  to  such  a  man ;  and  if  she  can- 
not number  him  among  those  who  have  extended  her  provinces  or  augmented  her  dominions, 
she  may  at  least  feel  a  legitimate  pride  in  the  victories  which  he  achieved,  and  the  great  quali- 
ties he  exhibited  in  the  contest  with  herself ."  Sir  Archibald  Alison  {England). 

OCTOBER  TWENTY-FIFTH. 

1775  The  Commander-in-chief  refused  to  allow  Major  Christopher  French,  a 
paroled  prisoner,  the  privilege  of  wearing  his  sword,  but  said :  "  I  wish  you  all 
the  happiness  consistant  with  your  situation,  and  while  the  inhabitants  of  Amer- 
ica treat  you  with  humanity  and  kindness  I  trust  you  will  make  a  suitable  return. 
It  is  not  grateful  to  me  to  hear  respectable  citizens  of  any  town  being  treated 
with  incivility  or  contempt." 

1791  President  Washington  delivered  his  second  annual  address,  in  which  he 
said :  "  The  rapid  subscriptions  to  the  Bank  of  the  United  States,  which  com- 
pleted the  sum  allowed  to  be  subscribed  in  a  single  day,  is  among  the  striking 
and  pleasing  evidences  which  present  themselves,  not  only  of  confidence  in  the 
government,  but  of  resource  in  the  community.  The  completion  of  the  census 
of  the  inhabitants  will  give  you  the  pleasing  assurance  that  the  present  popula- 
tion of  the  United  States  borders  on  four  millions  of  persons." 

1797  Washington  wrote  to  General  Thaddeus  Kosciusko,  regretting  the  state 
of  his  health,  and  that  his  suffering  would  not  permit  him  to  visit  Mount  Vernon. 
In  regard  to  that  general's  appeal  to  Congress,  he  said :  "I  am  sure  your  claims 
upon  the  justice  and  feelings  of  this  country  will  meet  no  delay." 


"  It  is  a  grateful  fact  to  Americans,  that  under  searching  criticism  the  ability  and  purity  of 
Washington  and  the  nobility  of  his  character  stand  unimpeached.  The  details  of  his  inmost 
life  and  the  record  of  his  daily  doings  have  only  served  as  welcome  shadows  and  light  needful 
to  mark  him  as  one  touched  lightly  with  human  frailties  and  weaknesses.  It  may  be  questioned 
whether  any  other  figure  in  history,  once  surrounded  by  a  heroic  and  poetic  glow,  has  lost  so 
small  a  moiety  of  dignity  and  honor."  Adolphus  Washington  Chreely  {Massachusetts). 


158  GEOEGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


OCTOBER  TWENTY-SIXTH. 


1778  The  Commander-in-chief,  from  Fredericksburg,  N.  Y.,  wrote  to  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Aaron  Burr,  saying,  "  You  carried  your  ideas  of  delicacy  too  far  in 
proposing  to  drop  your  pay  while  the  recovery  of  your  health  necessarily  requires 
your  absence  from  the  army." 

1781  At  Williamsburg,  Va.,  the  Commander-in-chief  with  distinguished 
courtesy  entertained  Lord  Cornwallis  at  dinner.  In  toasting  his  guest  he  as- 
sured the  defeated  general  that,  "  England  would  yet  have  reason  to  be  proud  of 
so  gallant  an  officer ."  In  reply  Lord  Cornwallis  said :  "  When  the  illustrious 
part  that  your  Excellency  has  borne  in  this  long  and  arduous  contest  becomes  a 
matter  of  history,  fame  will  gather  your  brightest  laurels  rather  from  the  banks 
of  the  Delaware  than  from  those  of  the  Cheasapeake." 

1789  The  President  received  John  Hancock,  Governor  of  Massachusetts,  in 
his  chambers  at  Boston,  having  most  peremptorily  refused  to  make  the  first  visit 
of  ceremony,  never  for  a  moment  losing  sight  of  the  courtesy  due  the  executive 
head  of  a  nation  from  the  executive  head  of  a  State. 


"General  Washington's  self-moderation  is  well  known  to  the  world  already.  It  is  a  re- 
markable circumstance,  which  redounds  to  his  eternal  honor,  that  while  President  of  the  United 
States  he  appointed  not  one  of  his  own  relations  to  an  office  of  trust  or  emolument,  although 
he  has  several  that  are  men  of  ability  and  well  qualified  to  fill  the  most  important  stations  in 
the  Government."  Isaac  Weld  {Ireland). 

OCTOBER  TWENTY-SEVENTH. 

1781  The  Commander-in-chief  answered  an  address  from  the  officers  of  Wil- 
liam and  Mary  College,  assuring  them  he  would  remove  the  sick  and  wounded 
from  the  buildings  as  soon  as  possible,  regretting  that  he  had  to  put  them  to 
such  unhappy  use,  for  to  him  "the  college  was  an  object  of  veneration." 

1782  The  Continental  army  went  into  its  last  winter  quarters,  at  New  Wind- 
sor, remaining  ten  months.  Washington  reestablished  headquarters  at  the  Has- 
brouck  House,  Newburg.  "  It  is  a  quaint  old  Dutch  homestead,"  Chastellux  said, 
"  the  largest  room  in  it,  or  parlor,  having  seven  doors  and  but  one  window." 
This  historic  spot  was  purchased  by  the  State  of  New  York  in  1849.  A  board 
of  trustees  has  been  appointed  to  watch  over  and  preserve  it  forever,  a  monu- 
ment of  the  War  of  Independence. 

1789  President  Washington  attended  the  first  musical  festival  in  Boston, 
given  in  his  honor  at  Kings  Chapel.  He  dined  with  Governor  Hancock  and  other 
dignitaries,  at  Faneuil  Hall.  In  replying  to  an  address  received  from  President 
Willard  and  fellows  of  Harvard,  he  said  T"  Your  request  presented  by  the  Artist 
Edward  Savage,  to  have  him  paint  my  portrait  for  the  Hall  of  Philosophy,  of 
your  great  university,  was  granted  and  he  is  now  engaged  in  painting  it." 


Thy  glory  beams  to  eastern  skies;  " Labor  awhile  suspends  his  toil, 

See!  Europe  shares  the  sacred  flame;  His  debt  of  gratitude  to  pay, 

And  hosts  of  patriot  heroes  rise  And  friendship  wears  a  brighter  smile 

To  emulate  thy  glorious  name.  And  music  breathes  a  sweeter  lay." 

Oratorio  Ode  (Boston,  1789). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  159 

OCTOBER  TWENTY-EIGHTH. 

1776  The  Battle  of  Chatterton  Hills,  or  White  Plains,  was  fought  this  day. 
The  opposing  armies  were  commanded  by  Washington  and  Howe  5  the  entire 
forces  of  both  sides  were  present,  though  only  a  small  number  engaged  in  battle. 
The  losses  were  about  equal.  The  British  were  in  fine  condition,  and  General 
Howe  lost  an  opportunity  in  not  taking  advantage  of  the  American  army,  which 
was  depleted  by  illness. 

1781  Washington  wrote:  "Our  operations  against  the  enemy  in  this  state 
being  concluded  it  becomes  my  duty  to  inform  Congress  of  the  future  destination 
of  the  troops  under  my  command."  He  sent  a  large  detachment  to  reinforce 
General  Greene  in  South  Carolina,  and  appointed  General  Lincoln  to  command 
the  troops  who  were  to  go  northward.  "I  shall  myself  return  to  my  former 
position  on  the  North  River." 

1789  The  Massachusetts  Society  of  the  Cincinnati,  accompanied  by  several 
visiting  members  of  the  order  from  France,  called  upon  President  Washington. 
At  Concert  Hall  a  brilliant  ball  was  given  in  his  honor,  at  which,  he  says,  "  there 
was  upwards  of  one  hundred  ladies."  During  his  stay  of  four  days  the  ladies  of 
Boston  wore  broad  sashes  of  white  ribbon,  upon  which  was  embroidered  "  G.  W." 
in  golden  letters,  encircled  with  a  laurel  wreath. 


"To  our  political  father  the  faithful  page  of  history  is  panegyric,  and  the  happiness  of  his 
country  is  the  monument  of  his  fame."  George  Richard  Minot  {Massachusetts). 

OCTOBER  TWENTY-NINTH. 

1775  The  Commander-in-chief  wrote  Governor  Cooke,  of  Rhode  Island,  who 
had  sent  Captain  Abraham  Whipple  to  Bermuda  for  powder,  his  disappointment 
in  the  failure  of  the  mission,  saying,  "  It  is  not  in  our  power  to  command  suc- 
cess, tho?  it  is  always  our  duty  to  deserve  it." 

1781  Congress  resolved,  "  That  two  stands  of  colors  from  the  British  army 
under  the  capitulation  of  York,  be  presented  to  his  Excellency  General  Wash- 
ington, in  the  name  of  the  United  States  in  Congress  assembled."  The  thanks  of 
Congress  were  voted  to  Count  de  Eochambeau,  Count  de  Grasse,  and  all  the 
officers  and  soldiers  of  the  allied  army.  It  was  also  resolved  that  Congress 
should  cause  to  be  erected  at  Yorktown  a  marble  column  adorned  with  emblems 
of  the  alliance  between  the  United  States  and  France. 

1792  From  Philadelphia  the  President  gave  instructions  to  his  manager  in 
the  event  of  illness  among  the  servants,  to  give  them  careful  personal  watching 
as  had  always  been  his  custom,  saying,  "  My  fear  is,  that  the  under-over- 
seers  are  so  unfeeling,  in  short,  viewing  the  negroes  in  no  other  light  than 
as  a  better  kind  of  cattle,  the  moment  they  cease  to  work,  they  cease  their  care 
of  them." 


"  All  the  world  agree  that  no  expedition  was  ever  better  planned  or  better  executed.  It 
has  made  a  great  addition  to  the  military  reputation  you  had  already  acquired,  and  heightens 
the  glory  that  commands  your  rank,  and  this  must  accompany  it  to  our  latest  posterity." 

Benjamin  Franklin  to  Washington. 


160  GEOEGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


OCTOBER  THIRTIETH. 


1751  "  This  morning  arose  with  agreeable  assurances  of  a  certain  steady  trade 
wind  which  after  near  five  weeks  of  buffing  and  being  tossed  by  a  fickle  merci- 
less ocean  was  gladdening  knews."     Washington's  Diary. 

1775  The  navy  of  the  United  Colonies  was  reported  by  the  secretary  of  the 
Commander-in-chief  to  consist  of  the  Lynch,  Captain  Broughton ;  the  Franklin, 
Captain  Selman ;  the  Lee,  Captain  Manly;  the  Warren,  Captain  Adams:  the 
Washington,  Captain  Martingale  ;  and  the  Harrison,  Captain  Coit. 

1777  At  Whitpan,  Pa.,  a  court  martial,  with  General  Sullivan  as  president, 
considered  the  conduct  of  General  Anthony  Wayne  at  Paoli.  The  charges 
against  that  brave  officer  were  not  proven,  and  he  was  honorably  acquitted. 
Washington,  with  great  pleasure,  approved  the  findings  of  the  court. 

1789  The  President  arrived  at  Newburyport  and  was  received  with  military 
honors.  He  had  visited  the  patriotic  seaport  town  of  Marblehead,  where,  at  the 
close  of  the  Revolution,  in  proportion  to  its  inhabitants,  there  were  more  widows 
than  in  any  other  place.  At  Lynn  he  was  much  interested  in  the  shoe  in- 
dustry, and  at  Salem,  where  he  passed  the  night,  he  attended  a  ball  given  in  com- 
pliment to  him. 


"  Armies  were  led  to  the  field  with  all  the  enterprise  of  a  hero,  and  then  dismissed  with  the 
equanimity  of  a  philosopher.  Power  was  accepted,  was  exercised,  was  resigned,  precisely  at 
the  moment  and  in  the  way  that  duty  and  patriotism  directed.  Whatever  was  the  difficulty,  the 
trial,  the  temptation,  the  danger,  there  stood  the  soldier  and  the  citizen  eternally  the  same ; 
without  fear  and  without  reproach,  and  there  was  the  man  who  was  not  only  at  all  times  virtu- 
ous, but  at  all  times  wise."  William  Smyth,  LL.  D.  {England). 

OCTOBER  THIRTY-FIRST. 

1753  Major  Washington,  having  this  day  received  his  commission,  started 
for  Fort  le  Bceuf,  the  head  waters  of  the  Ohio,  with  official  letters  from  Governor 
Dinwiddie  to  the  commandant  of  the  French  forces,  warning  him  against  tres- 
passing upon  the  territory  of  his  Majesty  the  King  of  Great  Britain. 

1775  General  Washington,  in  retaliation  for  Lord  Howe's  instructions  for- 
bidding any  citizen  of  Boston  to  leave  the  city  under  pain  of  military  execution, 
ordered  the  seizure  of  all  officials  unfriendly  to  the  American  cause,  in  Connecti- 
cut, Massachusetts,  and  Rhode  Island. 

1783  General  and  Mrs.  Washington,  and  many  other  distinguished  people, 
attended  the  services  in  Princeton  College  Chapel,  in  celebration  and  thanks- 
giving for  the  signing,  at  Versailles,  September  3d?  of  the  "  Definitive  Treaty  of 
Peace"  between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain.  The  official  Proclamation 
of  Peace  was  the  signal  for  rejoicing  that  beggars  description. 


"The  defects  of  great  natures  have  in  them  an  irradiating  property  which  fixes  and  fastens 
the  eyes  of  the  world  upon  them.  George  Washington  by  the  very  equability  of  his  exalted  na- 
ture is  deprived  of  this  vulgar  fascination,  for  so  I  may  almost  call  it — the  fascination  of  con- 
trast, of  the  alternate  glare  and  gloom.  But  every  human  heart  is  filled  with  deep  and  reveren- 
tial admiration  for  the  man.  Happy  the  Republic  which  has  such  a  founder  to  commemorate. 
The  destiny  of  that  people  ought  indeed  to  be  great,  ought  indeed  to  be  noble  and  beneficent, 
of  whom  George  Washington  is  even  the  highest  type."  Justin  McCarthy  {Ireland). 


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NOVEMBER  FIRST. 

1777  General  Washington  inclosed  to  the  president  of  Congress  the  letter 
of  Governor  Clinton,  giving  in  detail  the  ravages  of  the  troops  nnder  Vaughn 
who  sailed  up  the  Hudson  on  vessels  commanded  by  Sir  James  Wallace.  Land- 
ing at  Kingston,  they  burned  and  utterly  destroyed  the  town,  the  torch  being 
applied  by  General  Vaughn. 

1779  The  Commander-in-chief  wrote  to  Edmund  Pendleton  that  the  British 
had  concentrated  their  forces  at  New  York,  called  their  troops  from  Rhode 
Island,  and  abandoned  Stony  Point.  This  fort  had  been  reoccupied  by  the 
British  since  it  was  captured  and  dismantled  by  General  Wayne  in  the  mem- 
orable assault  of  July  16th.  The  site,  which  had  been  considered  impregnable 
until  taken  by  "  Mad  Anthony,"  continued  to  be  a  bone  of  contention. 

1 789  President  Washin  gton ,  after  breakf  astin  g  with  Sen  ator  Tristram  Dal  ton , 
left  for  Portsmouth.  He  was  received  at  the  State  line  by  President  Sullivan  of 
New  Hampshire,  and  many  other  State  dignitaries.  This  day  being  Sunday,  he 
attended  the  Episcopal  Church  in  the  morning,  and  in  the  afternoon  listened  to 
a  sermon  by  the  Congregational  pastor,  the  eloquent  Joseph  Buckminster,  D.  D. 
At  both  services  he  was  conducted  to  his  pew  with  unusual  ceremony  by  the 
marshal  of  the  district  and  two  churchwardens. 

1791  To  his  orphan  niece  Harriet,  Washington  wrote:  "You  are  now  to 
learn  your  fortune  is  small.  Supply  the  want  of  it,  then,  with  a  well  cultivated 
mind,  with  disposition  to  industry  and  frugality,  with  gentleness  of  manners, 
obliging  temper,  and  such  qualifications  as  will  attract  notice,  and  recommend 
you  to  a  happy  establishment  for  life."  When  he  placed  her  under  the  care  of 
his  sister,  he  said:  "  Harriet  has  sense  enough,  but  no  disposition  to  industry  nor 
to  be  careful  of  her  clothes.  Your  example  and  admonition  may  with  proper  re- 
straints overcome  it.  She  is  young  and  with  good  advice,  may  yet  make  a  fine 
woman." 


Welcome,  lie  comes,  the  hero  comes, 
Sound,   sound    your    trumpets — beat   your 

drums, 
From  port  to  port  let  cannon  roar 
His  welcome  to  New  England's  shore, 
Welcome,  welcome,  welcome,  welcome, 
Welcome  to  New  England's  shore. 

n  161 


:  Prepare,  prepare,  your  songs  prepare, 
Loudly,  loudly  send  the  echoing  air. 
From  pole  to  pole  his  praise  resound, 
For  virtue  is  with  glory  crowned, 
For  virtue  is  with  glory  crowned, 
Virtue  is  with  glory  crowned." 

Essex  Journal  {November  1,  1789). 


162  GEOKGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

NOVEMBER  SECOND. 

1783  Washington,  in  his  farewell  to  the  army,  written  at  the  Berrien  House 
headquarters,  Rocky  Hill,  said :  u  To  the  various  branches  of  the  army,  the 
General  takes  this  last  and  solemn  opportunity  of  professing  his  inviolable  at- 
tachment and  friendship.  He  can  only  again  offer  in  their  behalf  his  recom- 
mendations to  their  grateful  country  and  his  prayers  to  the  God  of  Armies. 
May  ample  justice  be  done  them  here,  and  may  the  choicest  of  Heaven's  favors, 
both  here  and  hereafter  attend  those  who,  under  the  divine  auspices,  have  secured 
innumerable  blessings  for  others.  With  these  wishes  and  this  benediction,  the 
Commander-in-chief  is  about  to  retire  from  service.  The  curtain  of  separation 
will  soon  be  drawn,  and  the  military  scene  to  him  will  be  closed  forever." 

1789  At  Portsmouth  a  barge  excursion  down  the  harbor  was  arranged  for 
the  entertainment  of  the  President.  The  seamen  were  dressed  in  white,  and  the 
house  of  Captain  John  Blunt,  at  Little  Harbor,  was  pointed  out — the  stanch 
old  salt  who  was  at  the  helm  that  December  night  in  1776  when  Washington 
crossed  the  Delaware.  The  party  landed  at  Kittery,  and  Washington  wrote : 
"  Having  lines,  we  proceeded  to  the  fishing  banks,  a  little  without  the  harbor, 
and  fished  for  cod."  He  dined  with  President  Langdon,  and  "  in  the  evening 
drank  tea  with  a  large  circle  of  ladies." 


"The  comparison  between  what  Napoleon  and  Washington  did  living,  and  left  dying,  of 
the  fruits  and  consequences  of  their  deeds,  would  surely  be  a  most^striking  and  useful  moral  and 
political  lesson  on  true  and  false  glory."  Maria  Edgeworth  {England). 

NOVEMBER  THIED. 

1751  George  Washington  arrived  at  Barbados  with  his  brother  Lawrence, 
who,  now  rapidly  falling  into  consumption,  was  ordered  to  try  that  climate.  In 
this  voyage  of  six  weeks  he  was  an  interested  student  of  nautical  matters.  This 
was  the  only  time  he  was  out  of  the  country,  and  the  longest  voyage  he  ever  took. 

1788  General  Washington  notes :  "  Sat  to  Madam  Marchioness  de  Brehan 
for  a  miniture."  This  gifted  and  eccentric  woman  was,  with  her  brother  Count 
de  Moustier,  on  a  visit  to  Mount  Vernon.  The  miniature  was  engraved  in  France ; 
prints  were  sent  to  the  President.  These  he  presented,  with  his  autograph,  to 
his  special  friends  among  the  ladies.  The  impression  he  gave  Mrs.  Robert  Morris 
has  been  reproduced  at  the  Bureau  of  Printing  and  Engraving. 

1789  President  Washington,  at  Portsmouth,  at  the  request  of  the  citizens  of 
Boston,  sat  to  Christian  Giilager  for  a  portrait,  and  when  completed  it  was  dis- 
posed of  by  raffle,  and  presented  to  Rev.  Jeremy  Belknap.  President  Sullivan 
and  the  Council  gave  a  public  dinner  to  their  illustrious  guest.  In  responding 
to  a  welcome,  Washington  proposed  "The  State  of  New  Hampshire,"  which 
called  forth  great  enthusiasm.  He  wrote :  "  At  half  past  seven  I  went  to  the 
Assembly,  where  there  were  about  seventy-five  well  dressed  and  many  of  them 
very  handsome  ladies,  among  whom  (as  was  also  the  case  at  Salem  and  Boston 
Assemblies)  were  a  greater  proportion  with  much  blacker  hair  than  are  usually 
seen  in  the  Southern  States." 


His  religion  became  him.     He  brought  it  with  him  into  office  and  did  not  lose  it  there." 

Jeremiah  Smith,  LL.  D.  {New  Hampshire,  1800). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  163 


NOVEMBER  FOURTH. 


1752  Major  George  Washington  was  initiated  in  the  rites  of  masonry  at 
Fredericksburg,  Va.,  Lodge  No.  4.  By  special  favor,  and  in  consideration  of  his 
character,  he  was  accepted  before  arriving  at  man's  estate.  In  the  record  of 
that  lodge  is  found,  "  Received  of  Mr.  George  Washington  for  his  entrance 
£2.3-6."  On  the  third  of  March  following  he  passed  to  Fellowcraft,  and  August 
fourth  to  Master  Mason.  To  the  end  of  his  eventful  life  he  was  a  devoted 
Mason. 

1780  The  Commander-in-chief  was  greatly  cheered  by  the  report  of  the  Bat- 
tle of  King's  Mountain,  and  the  routing  of  the  gallant  Colonel  Ferguson  and  his 
regulars  by  the  raw  mountain  militia  of  North  Carolina  and  Virginia,  led  by 
Colonels  Campbell,  McDowell,  Cleveland,  Shelby,  and  Sevier. 

1791  The  disastrous  defeat  of  St.  Clair  by  the  Indians  occurred  this  day, 
and  was  second  only  to  the  surprise  and  slaughter  of  the  British  under  Braddock. 
Washington,  when  giving  the  general  instructions,  said:  u  Beware  of  a  surprise; 
you  know  how  the  Indians  fight  us.'7  Though  almost  frenzied  at  the  heavy  loss, 
when  the  first  outburst  of  distress  was  over,  the  President  said :  "  General  St. 
Clair  shall  have  justice;  I  will  hear  him  without  prejudice;  he  shall  have  full 
justice." 

( 

"Ere  mature  manhood  marked  his  youthful  "Through  all  his  great  and  glorious  life  he 
brow,  stood 

He  sought  our  altar  and  made  his  vow ;  A  true,  warm  brother,  foremost  e'er  in  good ; 

Upon  our  tesselated  floor  he  trod,  And  when  he  died,  amid  a  nation's  gloom, 

Bended  his  knees,  and  put  his  trust  in  God !         His  mourning  brethren  bore  him  to  the  tomb!" 

Anonymous. 

NOVEMBER  FIFTH. 

1775  The  Commander-in-chief,  in  a  general  order,  sternly  rebuked  certain 
officers  and  soldiers  for  preparing  to  celebrate  Guy  Fawkes'  Day  by  burning 
the  Pope  in  effigy.  He  referred  to  the  Canadian  Catholics,  saying,  "  At  such  a 
juncture  and  in  such  circumstances,  to  be  insulting  their  religion  is  so  monstrous 
as  not  to  be  suffered  or  excused;  indeed,  instead  of  offering  the  most  remote 
insult  it  is  our  duty  to  address  public  thanks  to  these,  our  brethren,  as  to  them 
we  are  so  much  indebted  for  every  late  happy  success  over  the  common  enemy 
in  Canada." 

1781  General  Washington  reached  the  residence  of  his  brother-in-law, 
Colonel  Bassett,  at  Eltham,  thirty  miles  from  Yorktown,  to  which  place  his  aide, 
Major  John  Parke  Custis,  Mrs.  Washington's  son  and  only  surviving  child,  had  been 
removed  when  attacked  with  camp  fever  at  Yorktown.  He  arrived  a  few  min- 
utes before  his  death,  and  remained  with  his  wife  and  Mrs.  Custis  several  days, 
with  loving  care  superintending  the  funeral  arrangements  and  sustaining  the 
prostrated  wife  and  mother.  He  adopted  the  two  younger  of  Major  Custis's  four 
children — Eleanor  Parke  Custis  and  George  Washington  Parke  Custis.  These 
children  became  the  pleasure  and  comfort  of  his  advancing  years. 


"Whilst  he  lived  we  seemed  to  stand  on  loftier  ground,  for  breathing  the  same  air,  inhabit- 
ing the  same  country,  enjoying  the  same  constitution  and  laws  as  the  sublime  and  magnanimous 
Washington.     He  was  invested  with  a  glory  that  shed  a  lustre  on  all  around  him." 

John  Carroll,  Bishop  of  Maryland. 


164  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

NOVEMBER  SIXTH. 

1775  The  Commander-in-chief  expressed  his  deep  sympathy  for  the  suffer- 
ings of  the  enterprising  and  courageous  citizens  of  Falmouth,  and  regretted  that 
it  was  entirely  out  of  his  power  to  relieve  them.  This  town  —  now  Portland, 
Maine  —  was  given  only  two  hours  by  the  captain  of  a  British  vessel  in  which  to 
remove  its  women  and  children  before  commencing  a  destructive  bombardment. 
Notwithstanding  the  devastation,  the  enemy  did  not  effect  a  landing. 

1776  "  It  is  with  the  utmost  astonishment  and  abhorrence  that  the  General 
is  informed  that  some  base  and  cowardly  wretches  last  night  set  fire  to  the  Court- 
house, and  other  buildings,  which  the  enemy  had  left;  the  army  may  rely  on  it, 
that  they  shall  be  brought  to  justice  and  meet  with  the  punishment  they  deserve.'7 
Orderly  Book  ( White  Plains). 

1789  President  Washington  left  Portsmouth  on  the  fourth,  passing  through 
Exeter  and  several  small  towns,  and  reached  Haverhill,  where  he  remained 
overnight.  Of  Exeter  he  wrote :  "  A  jealousy  subsists  between  this  town  and 
Portsmouth,  which,  had  I  known  in  time,  would  have  made  it  necessary  to 
have  accepted  an  invitation  to  a  public  dinner."  At  Andover  he  said:  "Met 
with  much  attention  from  Mr.  Phillips,  President  of  the  Massachusetts  Senate, 
who  accompanied  us  through  Bellariki,  where  I  dined,  and  viewed  the  spot  on 
which  the  first  blood  was  spilt  in  the  dispute  with  G.  B.  on  the  19th  of  April, 
1775." 


"  Brilliant  beyond  all  other  names  that  blaze  in  the  splendor  of  those  days  of  trial  and 
triumph  shines  the  name  of  George  Washington."  Frances  A.  Johnston  (New  York). 

NOVEMBER  SEVENTH. 

1775  Acting  upon  the  findings  of  the  court,  presented  by  the  Commander- 
in-chief,  Congress  resolved  "  that  Dr.  Benjamin  Church  be  closely  confined  in 
some  secret  gaol  in  the  Colony  of  Connecticut,  without  use  of  pen,  ink,  or  paper, 
and  that  no  person  be  allowed  to  converse  with  him  except  in  the  presence  and 
hearing  of  a  magistrate  of  the  town,  or  sheriff  of  the  county  where  he  shall  be 
confined,  and  in  the  English  language,  until  further  ordered  by  this  or  a  future 
Congress." 

1777  "  Since  the  General  left  Germantown,  in  the  middle  of  September  last, 
he  has  been  without  his  baggage,  and  on  that  account  is  unable  to  receive  com- 
pany in  the  manner  he  could  wish.  He  nevertheless  desires  the  Generals,  Field 
Officers  and  Brigade  Major  of  the  day,  to  dine  with  him  in  future  at  three  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon."     Orderly  Booh  (White  Marsh). 

1784  Washington  wrote  Jacob  Read :  "  My  tour  to  the  westward  was  less 
extensive  than  I  intended.  The  Indians  from  accounts  were  in  too  dissatisfied 
a  mood  for  me  to  expose  myself  to  their  insults,  as  I  had  no  object  in  contempla- 
tion which  would  warrant  any  risk.  To  see  the  condition  of  my  lands,  which 
were  nearest  and  settled,  and  to  dispose  of  those  which  were  more  remote  and 
unsettled  was  all  I  had  in  view." 


"  A  civil  war  is  better  than  assassination  or  massacre;  it  has  a  system  of  discipline,  it  has 
laws,  duties,  and  virtues ;  but  it  must  end  in  military  despotism.  The  example  of  Washington 
is  solitary."  Sir  James  Mackintosh  (Scotland). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  165 

NOVEMBER  EIGHTH. 

1757  Colonel  Washington,  attended  by  Dr.  Craik,  arrived  at  Alexandria, 
and  wrote  a  short  note  requesting  a  visit  from  Rev.  Charles  Greene.  He  left 
the  frontier  by  the  order  of  his  physician,  and  it  was  more  than  four  months 
before  he  was  able  to  resume  his  command.  It  was  feared  that,  like  his  brother 
Lawrence,  he  had  contracted  serious  pulmonary  trouble. 

1775  In  a  postscript  to  Joseph  Reed,  Washington  amusingly  says :  "A  blun- 
dering Lieutenant  of  the  blundering  Captain  Coit,  who  had  blundered  upon  two 
vessels  from  Nova  Scotia,  just  came  in  with  the  account  of  it,  and  before  I  could 
rescue  my  letter  without  knowing  what  he  did,  picked  up  a  candle  and  sprinkled 
it  with  grease." 

1789  "  It  being  contrary  to  law,  and  disagreeable  to  the  people  of  this  State 
[Connecticut]  to  travel  on  the  Sabbath  day — and  my  horses,  after  passing 
through  such  intolerable  roads,  wanting  rest,  I  stayed  at  Perkins'  tavern  (which, 
by  the  bye,  is  not  a  good  one)  all  day  —  and  a  meeting  house  being  within  a  few 
rods  of  the  door,  I  attended  morning  and  evening  service,  and  heard  very  lame 
discourses  from  a  Mr.  Pond."     Washington's  Diary. 


" 1  never  knew  so  constant  an  attendant  on  church  as  Washington.  His  behavior  in  the 
house  of  God  was  ever  so  reverential  that  it  produced  the  happiest  effect  upon  my  congregation 
and  greatly  assisted  me  in  my  pulpit  labors.    No  company  ever  kept  him  from  the  church." 

Rev.  Lee  Massey  ( Virginia). 

NOVEMBER  NINTH. 

1777  General  Stirling  sent  Washington  this  paragraph  from  Conway's  letter  to 
Gates:  "  Heaven  has  determined  to  save  your  country,  or  a  weak  general  and  bad 
councillors  would  have  ruined  it."  He  had  received  the  same  extract  from  the 
president  of  Congress,  and  inclosed  both,  without  comment,  to  the  author. 

1783  At  Rocky  Hill,  Washington  gave  this  order  to  Captain  Bazaleel  Howe: 
"You  will  take  charge  of  the  Waggons  which  contain  my  baggage,  and  with  the 
escort  proceed  with  them  to  Virginia,  and  deliver  the  baggage  at  my  house  ten 
miles  below  Alexandria.  As  you  know  they  contain  all  my  papers,  which  are  of 
immense  value  to  me,  I  am  sure  it  is  unnecessary  to  request  your  particular 
attention  to  them." 

1789  The  President  wrote  from  Hartford  to  the  father  of  Polly  and  Patsy 
Taft,  Uxbridge,  Mass.,  where  he  had  remained  overnight:  "I  send  to  each  a 
piece  of  chintz,  and  to  Patsy,  who  waited  on  us  more  than  Polly  did,  who  bears 
the  name  of  Mrs.  Washington,  I  send  five  guineas,  being  much  pleased  with 
their  modest  and  innocent  looks.  That  I  may  be  sure  the  chintz  and  money 
have  got  safe  to  hand,  let  Patsy,  who  I  dare  say  is  equal  to  it,  write  me  a  line 
informing  me  thereof,  directed  to  the  President  of  the  United  States  at  New 
York." 


"Novalis  said  that  character  is  the  completely  developed  will.  I  have  always  been  im- 
pressed when  contemplating  the  life  of  Washington,  with  the  fact,  that  he  is  an  eminent  ex- 
ample of  character-building.  He  shows  in  his  life  an  almost  perfect  balance  of  self-control  and 
effective  action  upon  the  outer  world.  Self-control  is  often  strengthened  at  the  expense  of  out- 
ward efficiency.  Ready  action  upon  the  outward  world  often  conflicts  with  self-control.  In 
Washington's  character  we  find  this  fully  developed  will,  which  has  attained  this  perfect  balance 
of  inward  control  and  outward  efficiency."  William  Torrey  Harris  (Connecticut). 


166  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


NOVEMBER  TENTH. 


1775  "  The  General  thanks  Col.  Thompson  of  Virginia  and  the  other  gallant 
officers  and  soldiers  for  their  alacrity  yesterday  in  pushing  thr'o  the  water,  to 
get  to  the  Enemy  on  Letchmore's  Point.  He  is  informed  there  were  some  who 
discovered  a  backwardness  in  crossing  the  causeway — these  will  be  marked  if 
they  can  be  discovered."     Orderly  Book  (Cambridge). 

1782  General  Washington  attended  at  West  Point  the  funeral  of  Ensign 
Trant,  a  brave  young  Irish  gentleman  who  at  the  age  of  eighteen  left  his  coun- 
try and  espoused  the  cause  of  America.  In  two  years7  service  he  received  the 
approval  of  the  Commander-in-chief.  He  was  buried  in  the  garrison,  and  every 
mark  of  respect  shown  his  memory. 

1798  Lieutenant-General  Washington  arrived  in  Philadelphia  to  confer  in  re- 
gard to  the  organization  of  the  "  Provisional  Army."  He  was  met  at  the  Schuylkill 
by  the  Secretary  of  War,  Major-General  Hamilton,  and  an  escort  of  city  troops. 
When  he  reached  the  parade-ground  he  descended  from  his  coach  and  reviewed 
"  The  MacPherson  Blues."  His  approach  was  the  signal  for  joyous  demonstrations 
from  citizens  and  a  parade  of  veterans  and  militia. 


"  The  degrees  of  rank  are  frequently  transferred  from  civil  life  into  the  departments  of  the 
army.  The  true  criterion  to  judge  by,  when  past  services  do  not  enter  into  competition,  is  to 
consider  whether  the  candidate  for  office  has  a  just  pretension  to  the  character  of  gentleman,  a 
proper  sense  of  honor  and  some  reputation  to  lose."       Washington  to  Governor  Patrick  Henry. 


NOVEMBER  ELEVENTH. 

1775  General  Washington  sent  to  the  president  of  Congress  the  act  passed 
by  the  Council  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  Province  of  Massachusetts 
Bay.  It  was  the  first  law  passed  by  a  colony  providing  for  the  fitting  out  of 
vessels  of  marque  and  reprisal,  and  for  establishing  a  court  in  which  to  try  and 
condemn  the  captured  vessels  of  the  enemy. 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief  visited  the  Highland  forts  in  boats.  The 
chief  object  was  to  see  the  progress  of  the  work  at  Fort  Montgomery  and  other 
points.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  staff — Governor  Clinton  and  Generals 
Heath,  Mifllin,  Stirling,  and  James  Clinton.  General  Heath  said:  "  They  went  as 
far  up  the  river  as  Constitution  Island  which  is  opposite  West  Point,  the  latter 
of  which,  was  not  then  taken  possession  of;  but  the  glance  of  the  eye  at  it  with- 
out going  on  shore  evinced  that  this  post  was  not  to  be  neglected.  There  was  a 
small  work  and  block  house  on  Constitution  Island.  Fort  Montgomery  was  in 
inconsiderable  forwardness." 

1789  "  Set  out  about  sunrise,  and  took  the  upper  road  to  Milford,  it  being 
shorter  than  the  lower  one  through  West  Haven.  Breakfasted  at  the  former. 
Baited  at  Fairfield;  and  dined  and  lodged  at  a  Maj.  Marvins  9  miles  further, 
which  is  not  a  good  house;  though  the  people  of  it  were  disposed  to  do  all  they 
could  to  accommodate  me."     Washington's  Journal. 


"  Washington  kept  his  eye  fixed  upon  the  Hudson,  and  especially  upon  West  Point  as  the 
key  to  the  North  and  the  gateway  to  the  South."  Erastus  Brooks  (New  York). 


GEOEGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  167 

NOVEMBER  TWELFTH. 

1775  The  Commander-in-chief  ordered  General  Sullivan  "  to  delay  no  time  in 
the  seizure  of  every  officer  of  Government  in  Portsmouth,  who  had  given  pregnant 
proofs  of  their  unfriendliness  to  the  cause  we  are  engaged  in."  Washington  at 
Cambridge,  perplexed  by  the  delay  in  furnishing  uniforms  for  the  troops,  ap- 
pealed to  the  colonels  to  give  this  important  matter  their  personal  attention. 
These  uniforms,  if  it  be  lawful  to  call  them  uniforms,  were  rough,  "  colored 
brown  by  domestic  industry,"  and  home-made. 

1781  General  Washington  visited  his  mother,  and  in  the  evening  escorted 
her  to  a  ball  given  by  the  citizens  of  Fredericksburg,  to  the  French  and  Ameri- 
can officers.  The  following  day  he  reached  Mount  Vernon,  it  being  thirty-three 
days  since  he  stopped  at  his  home  on  his  way  to  lay  siege  to  "  the  posts  of  York 
and  Gloucester." 

1799  To  the  assembly  committee  Washington  replied:  "Mrs.  Washington 
and  myself  have  been  honored  with  your  polite  invitation  to  the  Assemblies  in 
Alexandria  this  winter;  and  thank  you  for  this  mark  of  your  attention. — But 
alas !  our  dancing  days  are  no  more.  We  wish,  however,  all  those  who  relish  so 
agreeable  and  innocent  an  amusement,  all  the  pleasure  the  same  may  afford 
them." 


"  Washington  never  violated  a  single  trnst.  He  more  than  answered  the  public  expectation 
in  every  one  of  his  numerous  appointments.  In  every  one  he  acquired  fresh  laurels,  and  in- 
creased the  general  admiration."  Oliver  Everett  {Massachusetts,  1800). 

NOVEMBER  THIRTEENTH. 

1782  General  Washington  sent  to  Captain  Charles  Asgill,  the  "Act  of  Con- 
gress "  setting  him  at  liberty,  and  said :  u  Supposing  you  would  wish  to  go  into 
New  York  as  soon  as  possible,  I  enclose  a  passport  for  that  purpose."  This 
officer,  selected  as  a  hostage,  in  retaliation  for  the  murder  of  Captain  Joshua 
Huddy,  was  under  sentence  of  death.  Congress  pardoned  him  upon  the  solicita- 
tion of  the  French  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  Count  de  Vergennes. 

1789  Returning  from  his  Eastern  tour,  the  President  reached  New  York  on 
Friday,  in  time  to  be  present  at  Mrs.  Washington's  weekly  reception.  He  had 
been  absent  a  month.  When  nearing  home  (at  New  Haven)  he  notes  in  his  journal : 
"  I  met  Mr.  Gerry  in  the  New  York  stage,  who  gave  me  the  first  certain  account 
of  the  health  of  Mrs.  Washington." 

1798  Washington  gives  an  amusing  account  of  a  call  at  his  lodgings  in 
Philadelphia  from  Dr.  Blackwell  and  Dr.  Logan.  The  latter,  he  had  reason  to 
conclude,  espoused  the  cause  of  France.  "I  asked  Dr.  Blackwell  to  be  seated, 
the  other  took  a  seat  at  the  same  time.  I  addressed  all  my  conversation  to  Dr. 
Blackwell,  the  other  all  his  to  me,  to  which  I  only  gave  negative  or  affirmative 
answers  as  laconically  as  I  could,  excepting  asking  how  Mrs.  Logan  did." 


"In  his  policy  abroad  Washington  was  impartial  —  firm  and  vigilant,  mild  and  pacific,  but  he 
could  be  war-like.  His  policy  at  home,  his  intercourse  with  his  cabinet  and  other  coordinate 
branches  of  Government  was  frank  —  open  and  ingenuous."        Charles  W.  Hanson  (Maryland). 


168  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

NOVEMBER  FOURTEENTH. 

1777  In  a  letter  to  John  Parke  Custis,  Washington  said :  u  It  is  mnch  to 
be  wished  that  a  remedy  could  be  applied  to  the  depreciation  of  our  currency. 
I  know  of  no  person  better  qualified  to  do  this  than  Colonel  Mason,  and  shall  be 
very  happy  to  hear  that  he  has  taken  it  in  hand.  Long  have  I  been  persuaded 
of  the  indispensable  necessity  of  a  tax  for  the  purpose  of  sinking  the  paper 
money,  and  why  it  has  been  delayed,  better  politicians  than  I  must  account  for." 

1781  From  Mount  Vernon,  Washington  wrote  Lafayette :  "  Not  till  the  5th 
instant  was  I  able  to  leave  York.  Engaged  in  providing  for  the  detachment 
that  was  to  go  southerly,  embarking  the  troops  that  were  to  go  northerly,  mak- 
ing a  disposition  of  the  Ordnance  and  stores,  and  disposing  of  the  officers,  and 
other  prisoners  to  their  respective  places  of  destination." 

1796  President  Washington  expressed  regret  to  Attorney-General  Lee  for 
his  continued  absence  from  the  seat  of  government,  saying,  "  Rely  upon  it,  it 
is  productive  of  unpleasant  remarks,  in  which  I  must  be  involved.  It  will,  indeed 
is,  considered  as  making  a  sinecure  of  the  office.  To  suppose  there  is  no  par- 
ticular occasion  for  Law  officer  of  the  Government  at  the  seat  of  it,  during  the 
recess  of  Congress,  is  incorrect." 


"  Providence  left  him  childless  that  the  nation  might  call  him  father." 

Medal,  U.  S.  Mint. 

NOVEMBER  FIFTEENTH. 

1751  George  Washington  notes  the  following  incidents  at  Barbados :  "  Dined 
with  Major  Clark,  at  a  club  entitled  the  'Beef  Steak  and  Tripe7 — Was  treated 
with  a  ticket  to  see  the  play  of  '  George  Barnwell '  acted.  The  character  of 
Barnwell  and  several  said  to  be  well  performed.  There  was  music  adapted  and 
regularly  performed."  Referring  to  an  invitation  to  dinner  from  Major  Clark, 
he  wrote :  "  We  went,  myself  with  some  reluctance,  as  smallpox  was  in  the 
family P  He  contracted  the  disease,  and  was  confined  to  his  room  three  weeks, 
but  escaped  disfigurement. 

1783  General  Washington  received  at  West  Point  from  the  officers  on  the 
Hudson  an  answer  to  his  farewell  address.  It  was  announced  that  officers  and 
men  wishing  to  take  leave  of  their  General  would  be  received  "in  the  little  back 
room  where  he  wrote  his  orders."  Here  they  came  —  brave  men  not  ashamed  to 
weep,  old  men  not  ashamed  to  become  boys. 

1789  "  Received  an  invitation  to  attend  the  funeral  of  Mrs.  Roosevelt,  (the 
wife  of  a  senator  of  this  state)  but  declined  complying  with  it — first,  because 
the  propriety  of  accepting  any  invitation  of  this  sort  appeared  very  question- 
able— and  secondly,  (though  to  do  it  in  this  instance  might  not  be  improper), 
because  it  might  be  difficult  to  discriminate  in  cases  which  might  thereafter 
happen."     Washington's  Diary. 


" 1  witnessed  the  public  conduct  and  private  virtues  of  Washington,  and  I  saw  and  partici- 
pated in  the  confidence  which  he  inspired,  when  probably  the  stability  of  our  institutions  de- 
pended upon  his  personal  influence.  Many  years  have  passed  over  me  since,  but  thejr  have 
increased  instead  of  diminishing  my  reverence  for  his  character,  and  my  confidence  in  his 
principles."  Andrew  Jackson,  President  of  the  United  States. 


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GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  169 

NOVEMBER  SIXTEENTH. 

1758  Colonel  Washington  wrote  to  General  Forbes,  who  was  ill  in  Phila- 
delphia: "The  keeping  Fort  Duquesne  (if  we  should  be  fortunate  enough  to 
take  it)  in  its  present  situation,  will  be  attended  with  great  advantages  to  the 
middle  colonies ;  and  I  do  not  know  so  effectual  a  way  of  doing  it  as  by  the  com- 
munication of  Fort  Cumberland  and  General  Braddock's  road." 

1776  From  the  Roger  Morris  house  the  General  watched  the  end  of  the  fight 
at  Fort  Washington ;  saw  the  flag  cut  down,  and  his  brave  soldiers  marched  out 
prisoners.  "Fifteen  minutes  later  the  British  Troops  took  possession  of  the 
very  spot  on  which  the  Commander-in-chief  with  the  officers,  had  been  standing." 

1784  General  Washington  arrived  at  Richmond  the  previous  evening  to 
meet  Lafayette.  The  Virginia  Legislature  being  in  session,  a  committee  of  five 
members  was  appointed  "  to  express  to  him  the  satisfaction  they  feel  in  the  op- 
portunity afforded  by  his  presence  of  offering  this  tribute  to  his  merits." 

1794  This  day  President  Washington  wrote  his  old  friend,  Dr.  Craik:  "I 
have  nominated  your  son-in-law  (and  I  congratulate  you  upon  that),  Richard 
Harrison,  Auditor  for  the  United  States." 


aAsa  warrior  and  a  statesman,  Washington  was  righteous  in  all  he  did; — unlike  all  who 
lived  before  or  since ;  he  never  used  his  power  but  for  the  benefit  of  his  fellow-creatures.  He 
fought  -por  t^k  ana  -wisdom,  foremost  of  the  brave; 

Him  glory's  idle  glances  dazzled  not ; 
'T  was  his  ambition  generous  and  great 
A  life  to  life's  great  end  to  consecrate." 

Percy  Bysshe  Shelley  {England). 

NOVEMBER  SEVENTEENTH. 

1775  Henry  Knox,  of  Connecticut,  who  was  this  day  made  by  Congress 
colonel  of  artillery,  the  first  officer  of  that  service,  received  instructions  from  the 
Commander-in-chief,  and  set  out  for  New  York,  Ticonderoga,  and  Crown  Point, 
to  procure  cannon,  mortars,  shells,  lead,  and  powder.  He  returned  in  January 
with  a  fine  supply  of  ammunition.  The  success  of  Colonel  Knox  in  this  impor- 
tant mission  secured  for  him  the  warm  approval  of  Washington,  as  it  made 
possible  the  attack  upon  Boston. 

1777  Washington  informed  Congress  of  the  evacuation  of  Fort  Mifflin  on 
the  Delaware,  "after  a  defence  that  does  credit  to  American  Arms."  The  critical 
condition  of  the  Continental  army  at  that  time  was  fully  understood  by  him ; 
for  in  1787  he  notes  in  his  diary  (August  19th,  Sunday) :  "  In  company  with 
Mr.  Powell,  rode  up  to  White  Marsh,  traversed  my  old  incampment  and  con- 
templated the  dangers  that  threatened  the  American  Army  at  that  place." 

1792  The  President  said  to  the  commissioners  of  the  Federal  Territory:  "I 
agree  with  you  in  opinion  that  ground  in  such  eligible  places  as  about  the  Capi- 
tol and  the  President's  house,  should  not  be  sold  in  squares,  unless  there  are 
some  great  and  apparent  advantages  to  be  derived  from  specified  buildings, 
which  will  have  a  tendency  to  promote  the  advancement  of  the  city." 


"  The  national  life  itself  throbs  through  Washington's  transmitted  life,  and  the  aroma  of 
his  grace  is  as  conscientiously  breathed  by  statesmen  and  citizens  to-day,  as  invisible  atmos- 
phere which  secures  physical  vitality  and  force."       Henry  B.  Carrington,  LL.  D.  (Connecticut). 


170  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

NOVEMBER  EIGHTEENTH. 

1775  The  Commander-in-chief  and  his  general  officers  spent  the  day  at  Gen- 
eral Artemus  Ward's  headquarters,  Roxbury.  This  conference  was  held  for  the 
purpose  of  locating  batteries  for  the  security  of  their  camps,  as  the  bay  would  soon 
be  frozen,  in  which  condition  the  Continentals  would  be  more  exposed.  Lord 
Howe  was  expecting  reinforcements,  and  an  attack  was  anticipated.  Washing- 
ton said :  "  I  have  long  had  it  upon  my  mind  that  a  successful  attempt  might  be 
made  by  way  of  a  surprise  upon  Castle  William.  From  every  account  there  are 
not  more  than  three  hundred  men  in  the  place." 

1783  From  West  Point,  General  Washington  wrote  to  Elias  Boudinot,  presi- 
dent of  Congress :  "  I  have  at  length  the  pleasure  to  inform  your  Excellency,  and 
Congress,  that  Sir  Guy  Carleton  has  fixed  upon  the  time  at  which  he  proposes  to 
evacuate  the  city  of  New  York.  The  particulars  are  more  fullv  explained  in  his 
letter." 

1789  "  Took  a  walk  in  the  forenoon,  and  called  upon  Mr.  Jay  on  business, 
but  he  was  not  within.  On  my  return,  paid  Mr.  Vaughn,  senior,  a  visit,  informal. 
Sent  a  Commission  as  District  Judge  of  South  Carolina  to  the  Hon'ble  William 
Drayton,  of  that  state."     Washington? 's  Diary. 


"  Before  the  splendors  of  thy  high  renown,  "  While  borne  to  distant  lands  thy  deeds  sub- 

How  fade  the  glow-worm  lusters  of  a  crown !  lime 

How  sink,  diminished,  in  that  radiance  lost,        Shall  brighten  as  they  mark  the  page  of  time, 
The  glare    of    conquest  and  of  power  the       And  ages  yet  unborn  with  glad  acclaim, 

boast.  Pronounce     a     Washington's     illustrious 

name."       Richard  Alsop  (Connecticut). 

NOVEMBER  NINETEENTH. 

1776  With  a  heavy  heart  the  Commander-in-chief  wrote  to  his  brother  John 
Augustine:  "This  [the  surrender  of  Fort  Washington]  is  a  most  unfortunate 
affair,  and  has  given  me  great  mortification ;  as  we  have  lost  not  only  two  thou- 
sand men  that  were  there,  but  a  great  deal  of  artillery,  and  some  of  the  best 
arms  we  had,  and  what  adds  to  my  mortification  is,  after  the  last  ships  went 
past,  it  was  held  contrary  to  my  wishes  and  opinion,  as  I  conceived  it  to  be  a 
hazardous  one ;  but  it  was  determined  on  by  a  full  council  of  general  officers 
and  a  resolution  of  Congress." 

1794  The  President, in  his  speech  to  Congress,  urged  "the  devising  and  es- 
tablishing of  a  well  regulated  militia  would  be  a  genuine  source  of  legislative 
honor,  and  a  perfect  title  to  public  gratitude.  There  is  a  pleasing  prospect  that 
the  Mint  of  the  United  States  wilL  at  no  remote  day,  realize  the  expectation  that 
was  originally  formed  of  its  utility."  John  Jay  closed  his  English  mission  by 
signing  this  day  a  treaty  with  Great  Britain  which,  while  it  was  intended  to  secure 
our  possession  of  the  western  posts,  proved  a  fire-brand  thrown  into  American 
politics. 


"  Though  friends,  followers  and  countrymen  should  betray  or  abandon  me,  I  will  return  to 
my  own  Virginia,  plant  the  standard  of  liberty  on  my  native  mountains,  and  calling  around  me 
the  friends  of  Freedom,  we  will  fight  for  our  country  and  our  homes,  in  the  enjoyment  of  our  in- 
dependence, and  beyond  the  reach  of  a  tyrant."  Washington. 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  171 

NOVEMBEE  TWENTIETH. 

1781  The  Commander-in-chief  left  Mount  Vernon,  and  stopping  in  Alexan- 
dria, personally  thanked  the  citizens  for  rejoicing  with  him  in  the  fall  of  York- 
town,  and  for  their  expressions  of  sympathy  in  his  great  family  affliction, —  the 
death  of  Major  Custis, —  saying,  "  Your  condolence  for  the  loss  of  that  amiable 
youth,  Mr.  Custis,  affects  me  most  tenderly." 

1790  President  Washington  reminded  his  manager  at  Mount  Vernon  that  on 
Monday  the  annual  church  subscriptions  were  due,  mentioning  among  other 
items,  ten  pounds  to  the  Rev.  Thomas  Davis,  rector  of  Christ  Church,  Alexan- 
dria.    This  divine  assisted  at  Washington's  funeral. 

1791  President  Washington  wrote  to  Lafayette  that  Mr.  John  Trumbull  had 
ordered  a  subscription  to  be  opened  in  Paris  for  engravings  of  his  series  of  pic- 
tures of  the  most  important  events  of  the  Revolution.  "His  pieces,  as  far  as 
they  are  executed,  meet  the  warm  applause  of  all  who  have  seen  them.  The 
greatness  of  the  design,  and  the  masterly  execution  of  the  work,  equally  interest 
the  man  of  a  capacious  mind,  and  the  approving  eye  of  the  connoisseur." 


"  But  beyond  all  his  great  deeds  which  can  be  recorded  or  appraised,  we  owe  him  our  grati- 
tude in  still  higher  measure  for  the  example  of  character  which  he  set  before  the  young  Eepub- 
lic  in  the  dawn  of  its  days.  Even  in  a  greater  degree  than  for  what  he  did,  the  nation  is  his 
debtor  for  what  he  was.  .  .  .  No  father,  in  his  most  ardent  prayers  for  his  children,  could  wish 
them  a  better  fate  than  to  possess  such  a  heart,  such  a  mind,  such  a  temper  as  made  of  George 
Washington  as  nearly  a  perfect  man  as  humanity  can  furnish."  John  Hay  (Illinois). 

NOVEMBEE  TWENTY-FIRST. 

1776  General  Washington  took  his  troops  over  the  Passaic  River,  crossing 
on  Aquackenonk  Bridge.  Fort  Lee,  when  evacuated  by  the  Continentals,  was 
taken  possession  of  by  the  British.  This  memorable  marching  and  counter- 
marching—  "  the  retreat  through  the  Jerseys  " —  attracted  the  admiration  of  Euro- 
pean officers.  The  armies  were  often  so  near  that  the  airs  played  by  their  re- 
spective bands  could  be  readily  distinguished. 

1781  The  Commander-in-chief  arrived  in  Annapolis,  where  all  business  was 
suspended,  and  he  was  greeted  with  the  wildest  demonstrations.  A  chronicler 
of  the  day  facetiously  says :  "A  few  Tories,  to  expiate  their  crimes,  and  shuffle 
off  this  opprobrium  of  their  characters,  feebly  joined  in  applauding  the  man, 
whose  late  successes  had  annihilated  their  hopes,  and  whose  conduct  was  a  satire 
on  their  principles." 

1782  Washington  wrote  Count  de  Vergennes,  at  the  court  of  Versailles: 
"  Captain  Asgill  has  been  released  and  is  at  perfect  liberty  to  return  to  the  arms 
of  an  affectionate  parent,  whose  pathetic  address  to  your  Excellency  could  not 
fail  of  interesting  every  feeling  heart  in  her  behalf." 

1789    North  Carolina  ratified  the  Federal  Constitution. 


You  would  have  thought  the  very  windows  "Upon  his  visage  ;  and  that  all  the  walls, 
spoke,  With  painted  imagery,  had  said  at  once : 

So  many  greedy  looks,  from  young  and  old,         'God  save  thee,  Washington  V  " 
Through  casements  darted  their  desiring  eyes  Annapolis,  November  21,  1781. 


172  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


NOVEMBER  TWENTY-SECOND. 


1777  "  The  Commander-in-chief  offers  a  reward  of  ten  dollars  to  any  person, 
who  shall  by  nine  o'clock  on  Monday  morning  produce  the  best  substitute  for 
shoes  made  of  raw  hides.  The  Commissary  of  hides  is  to  furnish  the  hides,  and 
the  Major  General  of  the  day  is  to  judge  of  the  essays  and  assign  the  reward  to 
the  best  artist."     Orderly  Book  ( White  Marsh). 

1781  General  Washington  was  entertained  at  dinner  by  the  city  of  Annapo- 
lis. In  the  evening,  "to  gratify  the  wishes  of  the  Fair,"  he  appeared  at  the  As- 
sembly.    "  When  he  retired,  with  one  united  voice  all  present  exclaimed  : 


"  *  Unrivalled  and  unmatched  shall  be  his  fame, 
And  his  own  laurels  shade  his  name."' 


He  left  the  following  morning  for  Baltimore,  where  he  was  met  by  his  bereaved 
wife,  and  two  days  later  they  began  their  journey  to  Philadelphia,  where  Con- 
gress was  in  session. 

1784  The  masons  of  Alexandria,  in  their  application  for  a  charter  for  their 
lodge,  wrote :  "  It  is  the  earnest  desire  of  the  members  of  this  lodge  that  our 
brother  George  Washington,  Esq.,  be  named  in  the  charter  as  *  Master.7  * 


"  With  fervent  zeal  for  your  happiness,  we  pray  that  a  life  so  dear  to  the  bosom  of  this  so- 
ciety, and  to  society  in  general,  may  be  long,  very  long  preserved ;  and  when  you  leave  the 
temporal,  symbolic  lodges  of  this  world,  may  you  "be  received  into  the  celestial  lodge  of  light 
and  perfection,  where  the  Grand  Master  Architect  of  the  Universe  presides." 

Mordecai  Gist  (South  Carolina). 

NOVEMBER  TWENTY-THIRD. 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief  wrote  John  Hancock,  president  of  Congress  : 
"  The  situation  of  our  affairs  is  truly  critical,  and  such  as  requires  uncommon 
exertions  on  our  part."  He  also  sent  General  Mifflin  to  present  to  Congress  the 
urgent  necessity  of  immediate  succor.  Washington  reached  Newark  and  re- 
mained five  days,  the  advance-guard  of  the  enemy  entering  the  town  as  the  last 
company  of  Continentals  left. 

1777  Washington  announced  the  surrender  of  Fort  Mercer,  saying,  "I  am 
sorry  to  inform  Congress  that  the  enemy  are  now  in  possession  of  all  the  water 
defences  on  the  Delaware.  After  the  loss  of  Fort  Mifflin,  it  was  found  Red  Bank 
could  derive  no  advantage  from  the  galleys  and  armed  vessels.  Under  these 
circumstances,  the  garrison  was  obliged  to  evacuate  it  on  the  night  of  the  20th, 
on  the  approach  of  Lord  Cornwallis." 

1780  At  Preakness,  Washington  received  that  brilliant  officer,  ready  writer, 
and  gay  bachelor,  Marquis  de  Chastellux.  The  meeting  was  mutually  pleasant, 
and  the  Commander-in-chief  invited  the  French  officer  to  visit  on  the  following 
day  the  army  at  different  camps. 


"Indeed,  it  is  the  manhood  pure  and  simple  of  George  Washington  that  appeals  to  the  far- 
spreading,  republican  sympathy  and  connects  the  man  with  every  fiber  of  our  republican  civili- 
zation. That  he  was  not  in  any  sense  a  demi-god,  nor  in  any  degree  a  typical  hero  adds 
enormous  weight  to  his  character  in  the  reckoning  of  patriotism ;  it  makes  him  normal,  sound, 
human,  and  yet  superbly  developed  and  majestically  poised,  a  chieftain  physically,  in  mental 
and  moral  temperament,  a  patriot  pure  and  true,  a  man  of  the  common  race  but  cast  in  an  un- 
common mold  and  of  selectest  material.  To  such  a  man  it  is  easy  for  the  lovers  of  old-fashioned 
patriotism  to  turn  with  flawless  reverence."  Maurice  Thompson  (Indiana). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  173 

NOVEMBER  TWENTY-FOURTH. 

1753  Major  Washington  arrived  at  "  Loggs  Town/'  chief  village  of  the  Del- 
awares,  where  he  remained  six  days,  endeavoring  to  persuade  Shingiss,  their 
Half -King,  to  furnish  him  with  young  men  guides  to  Fort  le  Boeuf.  This 
brave  was  a  Delaware  chief  who  at  first  favored  the  English,  but  afterward 
joined  the  French  and  became  the  terror  of  the  back  settlements.  In  1756  Penn- 
sylvania offered  a  reward  of  $350  for  his  head. 

1777  As  Cornwallis  was  in  Jersey  with  his  troops,  it  was  considered  a  fit  op- 
portunity for  attacking  Philadelphia.  Washington  reconnoitered  the  enemy's 
lines  and  found  them  more  strongly  intrenched  than  he  anticipated.  Eleven  offi- 
cers out  of  fifteen  opposed  the  attack.  General  Duportail  declared  "that  in 
such  works  with  five  thousand  men  he  would  bid  defiance  to  any  force  that 
should  be  brought  against  him." 

1789  President  Washington  went  to  the  John  Street  Theater,  New  York, 
and  "  The  President's  March  "  was  played  as  he  entered.  For  this  G-erman  air, 
Francis  Hopkinson  later  wrote  those  inspiring  words  — 

"Hail  Columbia,  Happy  Land, 
Hail  ye  heaven  born  band." 


"  Io,  benche  nato  non  libero,  avendo  pure 
abbandonato  in  tempo  i  miei  Lari ; 
e  non  per  altra  cagione,  che  per  potere 
altamente  scrivere  de  Liberta." 

Alfieri,  Dedication  to  Washington  of  "Brutus  the  Just." 

NOVEMBER  TWENTY-FIFTH. 

1758  Colonel  Washington,  in  command  of  the  Forbes  expedition,  raised  the 
British  flag  on  the  ruins  of  Fort  Duquesne,  and  changed  the  name  to  Fort  Pitt 
in  honor  of  that  great  statesman  and  friend  of  liberty,  William  Pitt,  first  Earl 
of  Chatham. 

1783  General  Washington  took  possession  of  the  city  of  New  York,  in  com- 
memoration of  which  event  his  equestrian  statue  now  stands  in  Union  Square. 
The  army  entered  first.  The  Commander-in-chief  and  the  Governor  of  the  State 
and  their  suites  were  escorted  by  the  West  Chester  Light  Horse ;  General  Knox 
and  officers  of  the  army  eight  abreast ;  mounted  citizens  eight  abreast ;  and  the 
speaker  of  the  Assembly  and  citizens  on  foot  eight  abreast.  The  line  of  march 
extended  from  Harlem  to  the  Bowery. 

1784  General  Washington  gave  Lafayette,  then  his  guest  at  Mount  Vernon, 
a  letter  to  Dr.  Mesmer  of  Paris,  thanking  him  for  the  communication  in  which 
that  scientist  had  taken  some  pains  to  explain  "the  power  and  principles  of 
magnetism." 


"We  give  thanks  and  praise  for  him  whom  in  Thy  providence  Thou  didst  set  forth  to  be  the 
leader  of  our  leaders  in  council  and  in  arms  and  the  example  of  all  who  follow  in  his  high  office. 
We  bless  Thee  that  through  the  gifts  and  grace  with  which  Thou  didst  endow  him,  his  name  re- 
mains for  us,  as  for  our  fathers,  a  banner  of  light,  to  the  lustre  of  which  the  nations  turn." 

Richard  S.  Storrs,  D.  D.  (New  York). 


174  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

NOVEMBER  TWENTY-SIXTH. 

1775  General  Washington  from  Cambridge  wrote  Lund  Washington  at 
Mount  Vernon:  "  Let  the  hospitality  with  respect  to  the  poor  be  kept  up.  Let  no 
one  go  hungry  away.  If  any  of  this  kind  of  people  should  be  in  want  of  corn, 
supply  their  necessities,  provided  it  does  not  encourage  them  in  idleness :  and  I 
have  no  objection  to  your  giving  my  money  in  charity  to  the  amount  of  forty  or 
fifty  pounds  a  year,  when  you  think  it  well  bestowed."  Lund  Washington  was 
a  distant  relative  and  the  trusted  friend  who  superintended  his  estate  through 
the  entire  struggle  for  independence,  and  his  frequent  letters  to  him  are  exceed- 
ingly interesting. 

1781  General  and  Mrs.  Washington  arrived  at  Philadelphia,  and  found  the 
city  prepared  to  give  them  a  magnificent  reception.  Charles  Willson  Peale  ex- 
hibited transparencies  illustrative  of  the  glorious  victory  of  Washington  and  Ro- 
chambeau  over  Cornwallis:  which  were  the  Ville  de  Paris  under  sail?  busts  of 
Washington  and  Rochambeau  encircled  with  stars  and  fleur-de-lis,  with  the  le- 
gend, "  Live,  Valiant  Chiefs ! n  Great  crowds  were  attracted  by  this  display,  and 
the  excited  citizens  remained  on  the  street  a  larger  part  of  the  night. 


"All  panegyrick  is  vain  and  language  too  feeble  to  express  our  ideas  of  his  greatness.  May 
the  erown  of  glory  he  has  placed  on  the  brow  of  the  genius  of  America,  shine  with  untarnished 
radiance  and  lustre,  and  in  the  brightness  of  its  rays  be  distinctly  seen — Washington  the  Sa- 
viour of  his  Country."  Pennsylvania  Journal  (1781). 


NOVEMBER  TWENTY-SEVENTH. 

1753  Major  Washington's  journal  has  this  quaint  picture :  u  Runners  were 
despatched  very  early  for  the  Shannoah  chiefs.  The  Half -King  set  out  himself 
to  fetch  the  French  Speech-belt  from  his  hunting-eabbin."  This  u  Speech-belt " 
was  a  contract  with  the  French  for  these  tribes  to  take  up  the  hatchet  against  the 
English,  which  the  Indians  determined  now  to  violate,  having  grown  suspicious 
of  their  allies. 

1775  The  Commander-in-chief  wrote  to  Richard  Henry  Lee  in  Virginia: 
"  For  God's  sake  hurry  the  signers  of  money,  that  our  wants  may  be  supplied. 
It  is  a  very  singular  case,  that  their  signing  cannot  keep  pace  with  our  demands." 
Three  hundred  of  the  poor  whom  Howe  had  driven  out  of  Boston  were  received 
and  provided  with  food  by  Washington. 

1784  Washington,  in  his  letter  from  Mount  Vernon  to  Governor  Clinton, 
said :  "  I  am  sorry  we  have  been  disappointed  in  our  expectation  in  the  Mineral 
Springs  at  Saratoga ;  and  of  the  purchase  of  that  part  of  the  Oriskany  tract,  on 
which  Fort  Schuyler  stands." 


"  History  has  not  dared  to  paint  him.  Delighting  to  trace  the  features  of  her  subjects,  too 
often  overlooking  the  minor  lineaments,  and  shrouding  her  heroes  in  a  blaze  of  splendor  lest  we 
should  observe  too  closely,  when  she  gazed  on  Washington,  dropt  her  pencil.  Of  the  few  who 
have  arisen  from  among  the  people  to  control  important  popular  revolutions,  Washington  alone 
has  the  power  of  having  established  free  principles  and  of  having  perpetuated  his  work." 

George  Washington  Bethune  (New  York). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


175 


NOVEMBER  TWENTY-EIGHTH. 

1781  The  Commander-in-chief  appeared  before  Congress,  escorted  by  two 
members.  He  was  addressed  by  the  president,  John  Hanson,  who,  after  congrat- 
ulating him  over  the  glorious  success  in  Virginia,  said :  "  It  is  the  expectation  of 
Congress  that  your  Excellency  would  remain  some  time  in  Philadelphia,  that 
they  may  avail  themselves  of  your  aid,  and  that  you  may  enjoy  a  respite  from 
the  fatigues  of  war." 

1783  "At  Cape's  Tavern  the  citizens,  who  have  lately  returned  from  exile, 
gave  an  elegant  entertainment  to  his  Excellency  the  Governor,  the  Council ;  his 
Excellency  General  Washington,  and  the  officers  of  the  army :  about  three  hun- 
dred gentlemen  graced  the  feast."     The  Remembrancer  (New  York). 

1796  From  Philadelphia  the  President  wrote  to  his  adopted  son,  George 
Washington  Parke  Custis,  the  famous  "Paternal  letter,"  which  has  happily 
been  called  "  Washington's  legacy  to  the  boys  of  America  " :  "  7T  is  well  to  be  on 
good  terms  with  all  your  fellow  students  —  and  I  am  pleased  to  hear  you  are  so, 
but  while  a  courteous  behavior  is  due  to  all,  select  the  most  deserving  only  for 
your  friendships.  True  friendship  is  a  plant  of  slow  growth  j  to  be  sincere,  there 
must  be  a  congeniality  of  temper  and  pursuits." 


"  May  the  name  of  Washington  continued  steeled,  as  it  ever  has  been,  to  the  dark,  slander- 
ous arrow  that  flieth  in  secret ;  for  none  have  offered  to  eclipse  his  glory  but  have  afterwards 
sunk  away  diminished,  and  shorn  of  their  beams."  Thomas  Dawes  {Massachusetts,  1781). 

NOVEMBER  TWENTY-NINTH. 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief  reached  New  Brunswick  with  3,000  men ;  two 
brigades  left  by  expiration  of  time,  when  the  enemy  was  only  two  hours  in  the 
rear.  A  retreat  was  imperative,  as  an  engagement  with  the  greatly  superior  force 
of  the  enemy  was  too  hazardous.  He  entreated  the  Governor  of  the  State,  "  With- 
out loss  of  time,  to  give  orders  to  the  officers  of  militia  on  the  roads  and  ferries 
over  the  Delaware  to  take  up  and  secure  every  soldier  that  has  not  a  regular  dis- 
charge or  pass." 

1784  General  Washington  visited  with  Lafayette  the  city  of  Annapolis; 
and  in  the  evening  they  attended  the  assembly  ball  given  in  their  honor.  The 
next  morning  Lafayette  accompanied  his  beloved  General  beyond  the  city  limits, 
and  when  they  parted,  Washington  was  impressed  with  a  premonition  that  it  was 
the  last  time  he  would  see  him.  He  wrote  him :  "  I  often  asked  myself  as  our 
carriages  separated,  whether  that  was  the  last  sight  I  ever  should  have  of  you  ? 
And  though  I  wished  to  say  '  No/  my  fears  answered  '  yes.? " 


"Unshaken  'mid  the  storm, 
Behold  that  noble  form, — 

That  peerless  one. 
With  his  protecting  hand, 
Like  Freedom's  angel  stand 

The  guardian  of  our  land, — 


Traced  there  in  lines  of  light, 
Where  all  pure  rays  unite, 

Obscured  by  none. 
Brightest  on  history's  page, 
As  chieftain,  man  and  sage, 
Stands  Washington ! " 
George  Howland  (Massachusetts). 


176 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


NOVEMBER  THIRTIETH. 

1775  The  Commander-in-chief  congratulated  Congress  that  on  the  28th  Cap- 
tain Manly,  in  command  of  the  schooner  Lee,  had  captured  the  British  brigantine 
Nancy,  bound  for  Boston  loaded  with  army  supplies — 2,000  muskets,  100,000  flints, 
and  a  brass  mortar  weighing  nearly  3,000  pounds,  to  which  Putnam  gave  the 
name  of  "  Congress."  This  was  the  most  important  piece  used  in  the  siege  of 
Boston.  Washington  instructed  Aaron  Willard,  and  his  assistant  Moses  Child,  in 
regard  to  the  Nova  Scotia  mission,  "  to  report  the  disposition  of  the  inhabitants 
towards  the  American  cause,  the  condition  of  the  fortifications  and  the  quantity 
of  Artillery."  The  inventor  of  the  popular  Willard  clock  was  a  keen  observer, 
and  made  many  excursions  through  the  colonies  with  his  clock- wagon,  though 
this  mission  proved  unsatisfactory. 

1781  General  Washington,  at  his  headquarters,  the  Chew  House,  Third  Street, 
Philadelphia,  received  General  Frederick  Muhlenberg,  speaker  of  the  House  of 
Representatives,  and  members,  and  listened  to  and  answered  their  addresses.  This 
handsome  mansion  had  been  occupied  by  several  notables,  among  them  the  re- 
gretted Don  Juan  Murilles. 

1785  From  Mount  Vernon,  Washington  thanked  Samuel  Vaughn  for  a  pun- 
cheon of  Jamaica  rum,  and  added :  "  Hearing  of  the  distress  in  the  West  Indies, 
in  consequence  of  the  Hurricane,  I  have  taken  the  liberty  of  asking  you  to  accept 
a  few  barrels  of  superfine  flour  of  my  own  manufactory." 

1794     "President  Washington,   at  the   solicitation    of   Mr. Collins 

contributed  fifty  dollars  towards  the  building  of  the  new  Catholic  Church  at 
Philadelphia." 


"  Washington,  more  than  any  other  man  in  history,  stands  as  a  model  for  imitation  by  his 
countrymen  as  a  citizen,  soldier  and  statesman.  In  these  human  relationships  no  creation  of 
the  idealist  presents  a  character  more  nearly  faultless  than  that  which  rises  before  the  young 
student  as  he  closes  the  records  which  in  less  than  one  hundred  years  of  his  death,  are  accepted 
as  correctly  describing  his  personality  and  his  achievements.  Imperfections  such  as  belong  to 
all  men  must  have  been  fewer  and  less  radical  than  we  ordinarily  find  them  when  the  transition 
from  the  actual  to  the  ideal  world  is  so  easily  made." 

George  Williamson  Smith,  D.D.,  President  of  Trinity  College. 


PANELS  OP  MANTEL  AT  MOUNT  VERNON. 


- 


After  an  old  print. 


DECEMBER  FIRST. 

1768  In  Washington's  diary  is  found :  "  Went  to  the  Election  of  Burgesses 
for  this  county  [Alexandria  j  Fairfax]  j  was  there,  with  Colonel  West  chosen. 
Staid  all  night  to  a  Ball  which  I  had  given."  Washington  received  185  votes, 
Colonel  West  142,  Captain  Posey  87. 

1782  General  Washington  at  Newburg  gave  a  bond  to  Governor  Clinton  of 
New  York.  This  document  has  been  recently  bought  for  its  autograph ;  at  the 
same  time  the  MS.  of  "The  Daily  Sacrifice v  was  sold — an  arrangement  of  prayers 
prepared  and  used  by  Washington.  In  spite  of  this  and  other  evidences  of  faith, 
discussions  continue  as  to  whether  Washington  was  a  Christian. 

1783  General  Washington  was  a  guest  at  the  dinner,  of  more  than  a  hun- 
dred covers,  given  at  Cape's  Tavern  to  Luzerne,  the  Ambassador  of  France,  by 
his  Excellency  the  Governor  of  New  York.  The  pleasure  of  the  occasion  was  en- 
hanced by  the  fact  that  the  Commander-in-chief  received  a  letter  from  Sir  Guy 
Carleton,  written  aboard  the  Ceres  off  Staten  Island,  announcing  that  the  frigate 
Asted  had  arrived  with  twenty  transports,  and  he  hoped  to  embark  his  army  on 
the  fourth  and  take  final  leave  of  the  country. 

1799  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Edward  Carrington,  of  Virginia,  spent  two  weeks  at 
Mount  Vernon,  and  were  the  last  visitors  whom  Washington,  for  any  length  of 
time,  entertained  at  his  hospitable  home.  The  General  was  in  splendid  health 
and  spirits,  and  had  much  to  interest  him  in  considering  the  organization  of  the 
Provisional  army,  as  he  had  chosen  this  efficient  officer  to  be  quartermaster- 
general.  Mrs.  Carrington,  writing  of  this  visit,  said  they  seldom  retired  before 
midnight:  the  General  had  so  much  of  anecdote  to  recall,  and  so  many  inquiries 
about  old  friends.  The  family  was  happy  over  a  recent  event — lovely  Mrs. 
Lawrence  Lewis,  nee  Nellie  Custis,  had  become  a  mother. 


Oh,  my  country,  art  thou  paling — losing  all  thy  young  days'  glow? 

Can'st  thou  lose  thy  first  love's  glory,  and  thy  hero's  worth  still  know  ? 

Patriot  hearts,  do  doubts  still  haunt  you,  threatening  thoughts  come  crowding  on  ? 

Sail  with  me  down  broad  Potomac,  past  the  Tomb  of  Washington; 

Feel  the  impress  of  his  greatness  stamped  upon  the  Nation's  heart, 

See  each  manly  brow  uncovered,  lovely  lips  in  awe  apart ; 

Fear  not  while  this  reverence  lingers  with  its  clear,  warm,  hallowing  light ; 

This  must  fade  from  brow  and  bosom  ere  can  come  our  country's  night." 

Elizabeth  Carey  Long  (Maryland), 
12  177 


178  GEOKGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


DECEMBER  SECOND. 


1756  Colonel  Washington  wrote  from  Fort  Loudoun  to  Governor  Dinwiddie: 
"  The  Catawbas  are  out  on  the  scout  with  an  officer  and  some  men  of  ours.  They 
proposed  to  stay  only  one  moon,  and  then  to  set  out  for  their  nation,  with  a  re- 
port of  the  country  and  its  conveniences  to  the  enemy.  It  therefore  behooves  us 
to  reward  them  well,  and  keep  them  in  temper.  The  Indians  expect  to  be  sent 
back  upon  horses.     I  will  not  take  upon  me  to  buy  horses  without  your  orders." 

1776  General  Washington,  marching  all  night,  reached  Princeton  at  eight 
o'clock,  and  pushed  on  to  Trenton  with  his  main  army,  leaving  General  Stirling 
with  two  brigades  to  report  the  movements  of  the  enemy.  The  disaffection  and 
fright  in  New  Jersey  was  so  great  that  the  army  was  not  joined  by  100  men  in 
their  retreat  of  as  many  miles.  The  Legislature  and  Governor  left  Princeton, 
and  wandered  from  place  to  place,  and  on  the  border  of  the  State  dissolved  this 
day,  "  leaving  each  member  to  look  to  his  own  safety,  at  a  moment  when  the 
efforts  of  legislators  would  be  of  no  avail." 

1783  The  Commander-in-chief  most  cordially  received  and  answered  an  ad- 
dress from  the  u  Members  of  the  .Volunteer  Associations  and  other  inhabitants  of 
the  Kingdom  of  Ireland  lately  arrived  in  the  City." 


"The  Pale  Faces  came,  and  they  said,  'You  fought  with  us;  you  have  forfeited  your  right 
to  this  land  and  must  go  away.'  But  General  "Washington  said,  '  Come  back  and  remain  in  your 
land  and  make  your  homes  with  us.'  Then  the  Prophet  said,  '  The  white  men  are  bad  and  can- 
not dwell  in  the  regions  of  the  Great  Spirit,  save  General  Washington.'" 

Peter  Wilson  (Iroquois),  before  the  New  York  Historical  Society  (1847). 

DECEMBER  THIRD. 

1783  General  Washington,  having  ordered  fireworks  in  the  city  of  New  York, 
celebrating  the  entrance  of  the  Continental  army,  wrote  to  General  Knox :  "  The 
splendid  display  of  fireworks  last  evening,  was  so  highly  satisfactory  that  I  must 
request  you  to  present  to  Captain  Price,  under  whose  direction  they  were  pre- 
pared, and  to  the  officers  who  assisted  him  my  thanks  for  the  great  skill  and  atten- 
tion shown  in  the  conduct  of  that  business." 

1793  The  malignant  fever  had  subsided  sufficiently  for  Congress  to  convene 
at  Philadelphia  on  the  day  appointed  by  the  Constitution.  The  President  in  his 
address  urged  the  repeal  of  the  tax  on  transportation  of  public  prints,  saying, 
"  There  is  no  resource  so  firm  for  the  government  of  the  United  States  as  the 
affections  of  the  people,  guided  by  an  enlightened  policy." 

1798  General  Washington,  accompanied  by  Generals  Hamilton  and  Pinck- 
ney,  this  day  attended  the  second  session  of  the  fifth  Congress.  A  crayon  por- 
trait drawn  by  St.  M6min  commemorates  his  last  appearance  before  Congress, 
and  his  last  visit  to  Philadelphia.  This  accomplished  French  gentleman  engraved 
the  head  which  is  much  admired. 


"  Washington  inspiring  order  and  spirit  into  troops  hungry  and  in  rags,  stung  by  ingrati- 
tude, but  betraying  no  anger,  and  ever  ready  to  forgive ;  in  defeat  invincible,  magnanimous  in 
conquest,  and  never  so  sublime  as  on  that  day  when  he  laid  down  his  invincible  sword  and  sought 
his  noble  retirement:  Here  indeed  is  a  character  to  admire  and  revere;  a  life  without  a  stain,  a 
fame  without  a  flaw.    Quando  Inverries  pavem."        William  Makepeace  Thackeray  (England). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  179 

DECEMBER  FOURTH. 

1777  From  White  Marsh,  Washington  wrote  to  the  president  of  Congress : 
"  The  enemy  appeared  on  Chestnut  Hill  about  three  miles  distant  from  our  right 
wing.  As  soon  as  their  position  was  discovered  the  Pennsylvania  Militia  were 
ordered  from  our  right  to  skirmish  with  their  light  advanced  parties,  and  I  am 
sorry  to  mention  that  Brigadier  General  Irvine  who  led  them  on  had  the  misfor- 
tune to  be  wounded  and  made  prisoner." 

1783  At  noon,  in  Fraunces'  Tavern,  New  York,  Washington  took  leave  of 
his  officers.  Filling  a  glass  with  wine,  he  drank  it  and  said :  "  With  a  heart  full 
of  love  and  gratitude  I  now  take  leave  of  you ;  I  most  devoutly  wish  that  your 
latter  days  may  be  as  prosperous  and  happy  as  your  former  ones  have  been 
glorious  and  honorable."  He  requested  them  to  come  to  him.  General  Knox 
being  nearest,  he  grasped  his  hand  and  silently  embraced  him,  as  he  did  the 
entire  group.  Not  a  word  was  spoken  as  they  tearfully  withdrew.  The  Gov- 
ernor, the  council,  and  citizens  then  bade  him  farewell.  A  corps  of  light  in- 
fantry was  in  attendance,  and  at  two  o'clock  the  General  passed  through  their 
lines,  and  embarked  for  Paulus  Hook. 

1786  To  Clement  Biddle,  Esq.,  Washington  wrote :  "  Is  the  Jerusalem  Arti- 
choke to  be  had  in  Phila.,  could  as  much  of  the  root  be  got  as  would  stock  an 
acre  ?    I  want  to  bring  it  in  with  my  other  experiments  for  the  benefit  of  stock." 


"  Weeping  through  that  sad  group  he  pass'd, 
Turned  once,  and  gazed,  and  then  was  gone — 
It  was  his  tenderest  and  his  last."  Anonymous  (1783). 

DECEMBER  FIFTH. 

1769  The  Virginia  House  of  Burgesses  ordered :  "  That  leave  be  given  to 
bring  in  a  bill  for  clearing  and  making  navigable  the  river  Patomack,  from  the 
Great  Falls  of  said  river  up  to  Fort  Cumberland ;  and  that  Mr.  Richard  Henry 
Lee  and  Mr.  Washington  do  prepare  and  bring  in  the  same." 

1777  Washington  by  daylight  had  his  troops  in  line  at  White  Marsh  to  re- 
ceive the  assault  of  the  British,  having  been  informed,  by  Lydia  Darragh,  of 
Lord  Howe's  intended  surprise.  The  enemy  discovered  that  a  reception  was 
awaiting  them ;  and  marched  back  to  their  post,  and  the  little  Quaker  landlady 
was  never  suspected  of  having  given  the  information. 

1793  In  his  message  to  Congress  respecting  the  French  minister  Genet  and 
our  relations  with  France,  the  President  said :  "  The  proceedings  of  the  person 
whom  they  have  unfortunately  appointed  their  Minister  Plenipotentiary  here 
have  breathed  nothing  of  the  friendly  spirit  of  the  nation  which  sent  him  ;  their 
tendency  on  the  contrary  has  been  to  involve  us  in  war  abroad,  and  discord  and 
anarchy  at  home." 


"  Washington  saved  his  country  by  his  aid  in  forming  her  constitution,  and  still  more  by  the 
authority  of  his  opinion  in  favor  of  that  form  of  government.  By  his  civil  administration  he 
saved  the  constitution,  and  with  it,  the  Union.  In  a  most  illustrious  example  of  wisdom  and 
firmness,  he  saved  us  from  French  domination."  Samuel  M.  Hopkins  {New  York). 


180  GEOEGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


DECEMBER  SIXTH. 


1755  Colonel  Washington,  from  the  frontier,  suggested  to  Governor  Din- 
widdie :  "  If  your  Honor  thinks  proper  to  order  the  act  of  Assembly  for  appre- 
hending deserters,  and  against  harboring  them,  to  be  published  every  Sunday 
in  each  Parish  church,  until  the  people  are  made  acquainted  with  the  law,  it 
would  have  a  very  good  effect.  The  community  in  general  err  more  through 
ignorance  than  design." 

1775  "  It  is  with  surprise  and  astonishment  the  General  learns  that  notwith- 
standing the  information,  that  was  communicated  to  the  Connecticut  troops  of 
the  relief  being  ordered  to  supply  their  places ;  that  many  of  them  have  taken 
their  arms  with  them,  and  gone  off,  not  only  without  leave  but  contrary  to 
express  orders."     Orderly  Booh  {Cambridge). 

1790  The  President  wrote  his  nephew  George  upon  bringing  him  to  Phila- 
delphia to  college :  u  Every  hour  misspent  is  lost  forever,  and  that  future  years 
cannot  compensate  for  lost  days  at  this  period  of  your  life.  This  reflection  must 
show  the  necessity  of  an  unremitting  application  to  your  studies." 


"  Washington's  administration  was  an  administration  of  silent  courage,  unbending  dignity 
and  persevering  firmness — not  an  administration  of  empty  bravado,  time-serving  timidity  and 
ever-changing  expedients.  Washington  himself  was  above  party.  His  noble  mind  held  it  in 
abhorrence  and  his  great  example  threw  it  into  disrepute.  Party  could  not  live  in  his  presence. 
He  never  rewarded  schemes  and  exertions  of  party  spirit  with  a  smile  or  an  office." 

Charles  Caldwell,  M.  D.  {Pennsylvania). 

DECEMBER  SEVENTH. 

1779  General  Washington  established  winter  quarters  in  the  village  of 
Morristown,  and  the  main  army  camped  about  three  or  four  miles  in  the  country. 
His  headquarters  (the  Ford  House,  still  standing)  are  now  in  the  possession  of 
and  carefully  preserved  by  the  Washington  Association  of  New  Jersey. 

1782  Marquis  de  Chastellux  took  leave  of  General  and  Mrs.  Washington, 
after  a  two  days'  visit  at  the  Hasbrouck  House.  The  genial  Frenchman  said :  "  It 
is  difficult  to  imagine  the  pain  this  separation  gave  me;  but  I  have  too  much 
pleasure  in  recollecting  the  real  tenderness  with  which  it  affected  him,  not  to 
take  a  pride  in  mentioning  it."  Of  this  parting,  which  proved  to  be  final,  Wash- 
ington wrote :  "  Never  did  my  heart  so  cleave  unto  a  man." 

1787    Delaware  adopted  the  Federal  Constitution.  This  state  was  the  first  to  act. 

1796  President  Washington  appeared  before  the  two  Houses  of  Congress  for 
the  last  time;  his  address  was  comprehensive,  temperate,  and  dignified.  He 
urged  the  importance  of  a  military  academy ;  and  again  dwelt  upon  a  national 
university — "  To  bring  together  the  youth  from  every  quarter  of  our  country  to 
assimilate  the  principles,  opinions  and  manners  of  our  countrymen,  and  thereby 
improve  the  prospect  of  a  permanent  Union." 


His  rule  of  justice,  order,  peace,  "Land  of  his  love,  with  one  glad  voice 

Made  possible  the  world's  release ;  Let  thy  great  sisterhood  rejoice ; 

Taught  prince  and  serf  thatpowerisbutatrust,        A  century's  suns  o'er  thee  have  risen  and  set, 
And  rule,  alone,  which  serves  the  ruled  is  just.        And,  God  be  praised,  we  are  one  nation  yet." 

John  Greenleaf  Whittier  {Massachusetts). 


GEOEGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  181 

DECEMBER  EIGHTH. 

1776  General  Washington  and  his  army  early  this  morning  crossed  the 
Delaware  in  boats  at  Trenton,  and  had  barely  reached  the  shore  when  Lord 
Cornwallis  appeared  on  the  banks  of  the  river.  Washington  said :  u  Before  I 
removed  to  the  South  side  of  the  river  I  had  all  the  Boats  and  other  Vessels 
brought  over,  or  destroyed,  from  Philadelphia  upwards  for  seventy  miles,  and  by 
guarding  the  Fords,  I  have  baffled  all  their  attempts  to  cross." 

1783  The  Commander-in-chief  was  met  at  Frankfort  by  the  President  of 
Pennsylvania,  John  Dickinson,  Robert  Morris,  Generals  St.  Clair  and  Hand,  and 
the  Philadelphia  Troop  of  Horse,  which  escorted  him  into  that  city.  His  arrival 
was  announced  by  the  ringing  of  bells  and  the  discharge  of  cannon. 

1790  The  President,  in  his  speech  to  Congress,  said  :  "  The  patronage  of  our 
commerce,  of  our  merchants  and  seamen,  has  called  for  the  appointment  of  con- 
suls in  foreign  countries.  The  establishment  of  the  militia,  of  a  mint,  of  a  stan- 
dard of  weights  and  measures,  of  the  post  office,  and  post  roads,  are  subjects 
which  are  urged  by  their  own  importance."  Referring  to  the  application  for 
admission  into  the  Union  from  the  District  of  Kentucky,  he  spoke  with  laudation 
of  the  resources  of  the  country  and  the  intelligent  and  heroic  character  of  her 
citizens. 


"This  gentleman  alone,  by  his  courteous  and  friendly  demeanor,  and  still  more  by  his  frugal 
and  simple  manner  of  living,  is  able  to  unite  the  parties  in  America,  and  make  the  new  Govern- 
ment effective,  if  such  be  possible."  Budolph  van  Dosstan  (Netherlands). 

DECEMBER  NINTH. 

1778  The  Commander-in-chief  and  his  troops  were  for  a  week  kept  in  rapid 
motion  u  through  the  Jerseys."  He  said :  "  Sir  Harry's  late  extra  manceuvers  up 
the  North  River,  kept  me  upon  the  march  and  counter  march  j  and  employed  too 
much  of  my  attention  to  investigate  his  designs  or  to  indulge  in  more  agreeable 
amusements." 

1780  From  New  Windsor, "Washington  wrote  Rochambeau:  "I  have  been 
constantly  employed  since  I  broke  up  my  camp  at  Passaic  Falls,  in  visiting  the 
winter  cantonments  of  the  army  between  Morristown  and  this  place.  I  have  ex- 
perienced the  highest  satisfaction  in  the  visits  which  Chevalier  Chastellux,  Vis- 
count Noailles,  Count  Dumas  &  Marquis  de  Laval  have  done  me  the  honor  to 
make  me.     I  have  only  to  regret,  that  their  stay  with  me  was  so  short." 

1795  The  name  of  Timothy  Pickering,  Massachusetts,  Secretary  of  State, 
was  sent  by  the  President  to  the  Senate,  to  succeed  Edmund  Randolph,  resigned. 
He  was  the  third  and  last  selection  made  by  Washington  to  fill  this  position  in 
his  cabinet.  Charles  Lee  of  Virginia  was  appointed  as  Attorney-General,  vice 
the  late  William  Bradford  of  Pennsylvania. 


"The  legacy  he  bequeathed  to  us  when  he  retired  from  the  chair  of  Government  is  worthy 
to  be  written  in  letters  of  gold,  or  rather  to  be  inscribed  on  the  hearts  of  an  enlightened,  free 
and  grateful  people.  Never  could  we  have  had  any  suitable  conception  of  Washington  had  we 
not  been  favored  with  his  letters  which  breathe  at  once  the  greatness  of  his  views,  the  ardor  of 
his  affection  for  his  country  and  the  resolute  firmness  and  perseverance  of  his  soul." 

Samuel  West,  D.  D.  (Massachusetts,  1799). 


182  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


DECEMBER  TENTH. 


1783  The  Commander-in-chief  received  the  President  and  Supreme  Execu- 
tive Council  of  Pennsylvania.  He  wrote  from  Philadelphia  to  Colonel  James 
McHenry  of  Maryland :  "  After  seeing  the  backs  of  the  British  forces  turned 
upon  us,  and  the  Executive  of  the  State  of  New  York  put  into  peacable  posses- 
sion of  their  Capital,  I  set  out  for  this  place.  At  Baltimore  I  will  spend  one  day, 
and  then  proceed  to  Annapolis  and  get  translated  into  a  private  citizen." 

1799  Washington  completed  a  drafted  plan  for  the  management  of  his  plan- 
tation, arranging  rotation  of  crops  for  several  succeeding  years.  He  left  valu- 
able notes  from  close  observation  and  experience  in  a  life  devoted  to 

**  The  art  that  calls  the  harvests  forth 
And  feeds  the  expectant  nations." 

These  notes,  covering  many  years,  are  in  MS.  now  in  the  Department  of  State. 
This  day  he  sent  to  James  Anderson,  Esq.,  an  advertisement  for  Alexandria 
papers  asking  that  "  claims  of  every  kind  and  nature  whatsoever  against  me,  be 
brought  to  you  by  the  first  of  January,  that  I  may  wipe  them  off  and  begin 
anew.  All  balances  in  mj  favor  must  either  be  received  or  reduced  to  special- 
ties that  there  may  be  no  dispute  hereaf ter." 


"Washington's  character  is  to-day  passing  a  thousand  crucibles,  tortured  by  fire,  and  in 
some  few  cases,  it  is  to  be  feared  that  these  crucibles  are  in  the  hands  of  those  who  would  rather 
find  the  dross  than  the  gold  which  underlies  it.  The  feeling  which  prompted  the  rustic  to  vote 
for  the  ostracism  of  Aristides,  because  he  was  tired  of  having  one  man  called  'the  just/  still 
lives  and  festers  in  human  hearts."  Phillip  Slaughter,  B.  D.  (Virginia). 

DECEMBER  ELEVENTH. 

1753  After  a  perilous  journey,  Major  George  Washington  reached  Fort  le 
Boeuf,  the  French  camp  on  the  frontier.  He  presented  despatches  from  Gov- 
ernor Dinwiddie,  in  regard  to  the  border  infringements,  to  the  commanding  offi- 
cer Chevalier  Legardeur  de  St.  Pierre.  Of  him  he  wrote:  "  This  Commander  is 
a  Knight  of  the  Order  of  St.  Louis.  He  is  an  elderly  gentleman,  and  has  much 
the  Air  of  a  Soldier."  While  the  French  officers  held  a  council  of  war,  Wash- 
ington made  a  plan  of  the  fort,  even  to  noting  the  number  of  canoes. 

1775  Mrs.  Washington,  accompanied  by  her  son,  John  Parke  Custis,  Esq., 
and  his  wife,  arrived  at  Cambridge  and  were  established  at  headquarters.  Cap- 
tain Manly  had  captured  two  prizes.  One  vessel  was  loaded  with  perishable  fruit, 
and  to  prepare  for  Mrs.  Washington's  comfort,  Quartermaster  Moylan  ordered: 
"  You  will  please  to  pick  up  such  things  on  board  as  you  think  will  be  accepta- 
ble to  her;  the  General  does  not  mean  to  receive  anything  without  payment." 

1783  General  and  Mrs.  Washington  at  Philadelphia  took  part  in  the  service 
of  thanksgiving  which  had  been  recommended  by  Congress  on  the  eighteenth  of 
October,  to  be  observed  upon  the  ending  of  the  great  struggle. 


His  work  well  done,  the  leader  stepped  aside,     "  Content  to  wear  the  higher  crown  of  worth. 
Spurning  a  crown  with  more  than  kingly  pride,        While  time  endures,  First  Citizen  of  earth." 

James  Jeffrey  Roche  (Ireland). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  183 

DECEMBER  TWELFTH. 

1787  To  Colonel  Charles  Carter,  Washington  said :  "  I  thank  you  for  your 
congratulations  on  my  return  from  the  Convention  ;  and  with  what  you  add  re- 
specting the  Constitution.  My  decided  opinion  of  the  matter  is  that  there  is  no 
alternative  between  the  adoption  of  it  and  anarchy.  I  am  not  a  blind  admirer 
of  the  Constitution  to  which  I  have  assisted  to  give  birth  j  but  I  am  fully  per- 
suaded that  it  is  the  best  that  can  be  obtained  at  this  day,  and  that  it  or  disunion 
is  before  us."    Pennsylvania  this  day  ratified  the  Federal  Constitution. 

1793  President  Washington,  in  writing  Arthur  Young  describing  Mount 
Vernon,  which  then  embraced  10,000  acres,  said :  "  No  estate  in  United  America 
is  more  pleasantly  situated  than  this.  It  lies  in  a  high,  dry  and  healthy  country ; 
300  miles  by  water  from  the  sea,  and  on  one  of  the  finest  rivers  in  the  world.  Its 
margin  is  washed  by  more  than  ten  miles  of  tide  water.  It  is  situated  in  a  lati- 
tude between  the  extremes  of  heat  and  cold,  and  is  sixteen  miles  from  the  Federal 
City  which  in  the  year  1800  will  become  the  seat  of  the  general  government." 

1799  General  Washington  rode  in  a  misty  rain  and  snow  for  four  hours  over 
his  plantation,  and  as  far  as  Alexandria,  and  came  home  chilled ;  this  was  his 
last  ride.  He  wrote  an  important  letter  to  Alexander  Hamilton,  in  regard  to  the 
establishment  of  a  National  Military  Academy. 


"  While  others  become  great  by  elevation,  Washington  becomes  greater  by  condescension. 
Let  not  his  motives  be  mistaken  or  forgotten.  It  was  for  him  to  set  as  great  example  in  the 
relinquishment  as  in  the  acceptance  of  power." 

John  Mitchell  Mason,  D.  D.  {New  York,  1800). 

DECEMBER  THIRTEENTH. 

1776  Major-General  Charles  Lee  was  captured  by  a  troop  of  British  horse, 
in  his  headquarters,  Mrs.  White's  Tavern,  near  Vealtown,  N.  J.  He  was  three 
miles  from  his  command,  a  division  having  3,000  men,  and  had  been  dilatory 
about  moving  with  the  expedition.  Washington  at  once,  "  with  utmost  regret," 
announced  this  disaster  to  the  Pennsylvania  Council  of  Safety. 

1783  The  Commander-in-chief,  en  route  to  Annapolis,  had  the  previous  even- 
ing attended  a  magnificent  dinner  and  a  ball  in  his  honor,  given  him  at  "  The  City 
Tavern  n  by  the  merchants  of  Philadelphia.  This  morning  he  received  and  re- 
plied to  the  congratulations  of  the  American  Philosophical  Society,  the  clergy, 
lawyers,  and  doctors  of  that  city. 

1799  G-eneral  Washington  was  attacked  by  his  mortal  illness,  acute  quinsy, 
arising  from  cold  caught  the  previous  day.  Though  suffering,  he  was  cheerful 
and  in  the  library  until  a  late  hour.  When  urged,  upon  retiring,  to  try  some  reme- 
dies for  his  hoarseness,  he  said :  a  'T  is  nothing,  let  it  go  as  it  came."  Before 
sunrise,  however,  Mrs.  Washington  became  greatly  alarmed,  and  aroused  the 
family.  His  last  writing  was  an  entry  in  his  journal  recording,  with  usual  care, 
notes  on  the  weather. 


"  Washington  has  finished  life  without  the  slightest  diminution  of  his  glory,  tranquillity,  and 
happiness.  He  died  on  the  fields  cultivated  by  himself,  in  the  bosom  of  his  country,  of  his  fam- 
ily, of  his  friends ;  and  the  veneration  of  America  accompanied  him  to  his  grave." 

Jacques  Mallet  du  Pan  {Switzerland). 


184  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


DECEMBER  FOURTEENTH. 


1782  Count  de  Rochambeau,  after  spending  a  week  with  the  Commander-in- 
chief,  left  for  France.  The  incident  is  pictured  in  one  phrase  from  that  noble- 
man's pen:  "  It  was  here  [Newburg]  that  we  took  our  most  tender  farewell;  that 
I,  as  well  as  the  officers  who  were  with  me,  received  from  the  American  army  the 
assurance  of  their  sincere  friendship  forever." 

1798  General  Washington  left  Philadelphia  for  the  last  time,  having  finished 
his  conference  with  the  President,  Congress,  the  Secretary  of  War,  and  General 
Hamilton  in  regard  to  the  "  Provisional  Army."  He  was  in  unusual  vigor  and 
enjoyed  meeting  his  old  compatriots. 

1799  George  Washington  died  at  Mount  Vernon,  after  a  few  hours  of  great 
suffering,  at  half -past  ten  in  the  evening.  There  had  been  but  little  hope  from 
the  beginning  of  his  illness,  and  Washington  appeared  perfectly  conscious  of 
his  condition  ;  he  spoke  very  little  and  with  difficulty.  His  devoted  wife  was  by 
his  side;  also  his  secretary,  Colonel  Tobias  Lear,  and  his  two  lifelong  friends  and 
physicians,  Doctors  Dick  and  Craik.    His  last  words  were :  "  It  is  well." 


"His  patience,  fortitude,  and  resignation  never  forsook  him  for  a  moment.  In  all  his  dis- 
tress he  uttered  not  a  sigh  nor  a  complaint."  Tobias  Lear,  Secretary  of  Washington. 

"The  dark  night  of  the  tomb  shall  not  obscure  the  lustre  of  his  fame,  and  when  brass  and 
marble  shall  have  fallen  to  decay,  the  sweet  remembrance  of  his  virtues,  passing  in  proud  trans- 
mission to  remotest  ages,  shall  endure  forever." 

Major  William  Jackson,  Secretary  of  Washington. 

DECEMBER  FIFTEENTH. 

1753  Major  Washington  was  anxious  to  leave  Fort  le  Bceuf,  having  received 
from  Chevalier  St.  Pierre  a  reply  to  Governor  Dinwiddie's  demand.  He  passed 
a  day  of  great  anxiety,  but  finally  persuaded  the  Half -King  to  start  for  Venango. 
He  said :  "The  French  were  not  slack  in  their  inventions  to  keep  the  Indians  this 
Day  also :  But  as  they  were  obligated,  according  to  Promise,  to  give  the  Presents, 
they  then  endeavored  to  try  the  Power  of  Liquor."  The  sequel  showed  that  he 
was  justified  in  fearing  treachery. 

1775  John  Parke  .Custis,  Esq.,  who  had  escorted  his  mother  and  wife  to 
Cambridge,  gave  to  the  Commander-in-chief  fifty-three  pounds  contributed  for 
the  relief  of  their  "suffering  Brethren  in  Boston,"  by  the  County  of  Fairfax,  Vir- 
ginia. All  eyes  and  hearts  of  the  Old  Dominion  were  centered  on  the  besieged 
city ;  and  the  mite  they  could  spare  in  this  time  of  universal  distress  was  cheer- 
fully given. 

1789  "Exercised  on  horse  back  about  10  o'clock — Called  on  the  Secretary 
for  the  Department  of  War,  and  gave  him  the  heads  of  many  letters  to  be  writ- 
ten to  characters  in  the  Western  Country,  relative  chiefly  to  Indian  Affairs. 
Visitors  to  the  levee  to-day  were  not  very  numerous,  though  respectable."  Wash- 
ington's Diary  {Philadelphia). 


"  The  bright  effulgence  of  his  character  shed  its  influence  all  around.  Heroes  sprang  up  at 
his  name,  and  patriotism,  kindling  into  enthusiastic  ardor,  when  foreign  or  domestic  insult 
threatened  his  country's  honor  or  its  independence,  filled  his  ranks ;  thousands  flew  to  his  stan- 
dard." John  Fining  (Delaware). 


GEOBGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  185 

DECEMBER   SIXTEENTH. 

1770  Colonel  Washington,  always  devoted  to  his  wife's  son,  wrote  to  his 
preceptor,  Rev.  Dr.  Boucher:  "According  to  appointment  Jacky  Custis  now 
returns  to  Annapolis.  His  mind  is  a  good  deal  released  from  Study,  and  more 
than  ever  turned  to  Dogs,  Horses,  and  Guns ;  indeed  upon  Dress  and  Equipage, 
till  of  late  he  has  discovered  little  Inclination  of  giving  in  to." 

1783  The  Commander-in-chief,  leaving  Philadelphia,  was  escorted  for  some 
distance  by  the  City  Troop  of  Horse,  Marquis  de  la  Luzerne,  and  President 
Dickinson  on  horseback,  Robert  Morris  and  wife  in  a  carriage.  At  Wilmington 
in  the  evening,  he  was  welcomed  by  a  salute  of  thirteen  guns,  and  met  by  the 
Governor  and  distinguished  citizens.  The  day  following  he  was  handsomely 
entertained  at  Baltimore. 

1799  The  Washington  Lodge,  Alexandria,  Va.,  called  a  special  meeting,  Dr. 
Elisha  Dick  presiding,  to  arrange  for  the  funeral  rites  of  masonry  over  the  re- 
mains of  their  beloved  brother,  George  Washington.  A  French  frigate  when 
opposite  Mount  Vernon  this  day  tolled  her  bell  in  mournful  salute  to  the  dead 
chieftain.  The  British  admiral,  though  an  enemy,  rendered  the  same  homage 
when  passing  the  tomb  of  Washington  in  1814  as  he  approached  the  capital  city. 
It  has  become  the  custom  of  the  vessels  of  all  nations,  and  is  an  act  of  reverence 
dailv  observed. 


" Modest  and  unassuming,  yet  dignified  in  his  manners;  accessible  and  communicative,  yet 
superior  to  familiarity,  he  inspired  and  preserved  the  love  and  respect  of  all  who  knew  him." 

Elisha  Cullen  DicJc,  M.  D.  {Virginia). 

DECEMBER   SEVENTEENTH. 

1777  "  The  Commander-in-chief,  with  the  highest  satisfaction,  expresses  his 
thanks  to  the  officers  and  soldiers  for  the  fortitude,  and  patience  with  which  they 
have  sustained  the  fatigue  of  the  campaign.  Although  in  some  instances  we 
unfortunately,  failed;  yet  upon  the  whole  Heaven  hath  smiled  upon  our  arms 
and  crowned  them  with  signal  success ;  and  we  may  upon  the  best  grounds  con- 
clude, that,  by  a  spirited  continuance  of  the  measures  necessary  for  our  defence, 
we  shall  finally  obtain  the  end  of  our  warfare,  Independence,  Liberty  and  Peace." 
Orderly  Bool  (Gulf  Mill). 

1781  G-eneral  Washington,  having  been  "  adopted  n  into  "  The  Society  of  the 
Friendly  sons  of  St.  Patrick,"  said :  "  I  accept  with  singular  pleasure  the  Ensign 
of  so  worthy  a  fraternity  as  that  of  the  'Sons  of  St.  Patrick/  in  this  city — a 
society  distinguished  for  the  firm  adherence  of  its  members  to  the  glorious  cause 
in  which  we  are  embarked."  The  dinner  given  in  his  honor  at "  The  City  Tavern" 
by  these  enthusiastic  Irish  gentlemen  on  the  first  day  of  the  following  January, 
was  in  all  its  appointments  considered  one  of  the  most  elegant  of  the  period.  The 
guests  were  the  brilliant  representatives  of  legislative,  diplomatic,  and  military 
circles. 


"Who  like  Washington,  after  having  saved  a  country  resigned  her  crown,  and  retired  to  a 
cottage  rather  than  reign  in  a  capitol.  Immortal  man.  He  took  from  the  battle  its  crime  and 
from  the  conquest  its  chains,  he  left  to  the  victorious  the  glory  of  his  self  denial,  and  turned 
upon  the  vanquished  only  the  retribution  of  his  mercy."  Charles  Phillips  {Ireland). 


186  GEOEGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


DECEMBER  EIGHTEENTH. 


1776  The  Commander-in-chief  from  Keith's  farm-house,  near  Trenton,  wrote 
his  brother  John  Augustine :  "  You  can  form  no  idea  of  the  perplexity  of  my 
situation.  No  man,  I  believe,  ever  had  a  greater  choice  of  difficulties,  and  less 
means  to  extricate  himself  from  them.  However,  under  a  full  persuasion  of  the 
justice  of  our  cause,  I  cannot  entertain  an  idea  that  it  will  finally  sink,  tho'  it 
may  remain  for  some  time  under  a  cloud." 

1787    New  Jersey  ratified  the  Federal  Constitution. 

1797  In  a  long  letter  written  by  Mrs.  Washington  to  Mrs.  Morris,  this  quaint 
passage  occurs:  "  The  General  says  he  has  entered  into  an  engagement  with  Mr. 
Morris  and  several  other  gentlemen  not  to  leave  the  theatre  of  this  world  before 
the  year  1800,  and  it  may  be  relied  no  breach  of  contract  shall  be  laid  to  him  on 
that  account  unless  dire  necessity  bring  it  about,  maugre  all  his  exertions  to  the 
contrary;  in  that  case,  he  shall  hope  they  would  do  by  him  as  he  would  by 
them  —  excuse  it." 

1799  In  the  presence  of  relatives,  friends,  and  neighbors,  with  masonic  and 
military  ceremonies,  the  body  of  George  Washington  was  laid  in  the  family  vault 
at  Mount  Vernon.  Rev.  Thomas  Davis  of  Christ  Church,  Alexandria,  read  the 
service.  On  a  silver  plate  was  engraved  the  name,  date  of  birth  and  death;  be- 
low were  the  words  "  Glorio  Deo,"  and  above  u  Surge  ad  judicium." 


"  Thou  art  not  dead,  thou  mighty  king  of  men,     "  A  hundred  years  are  naught  to  living  fame ; 
Thou  rock  of  strength  amid  a  storm-swept       And  this,  a  birthday  of  thy  living  prime." 
time,  Edmund  Smith  Middleton  (New  York). 

DECEMBER  NINETEENTH. 

1756  To  the  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Burgesses,  Washington  said:  "My 
orders  are  dark,  doubtful  and  uncertain ;  today  approved,  tomorrow  condemned. 
Left  to  act  and  proceed  at  hazard,  accountable  for  the  consequences,  and  blamed 
without  the  benefit  of  defence.  However  I  am  determined  to  bear  up  under  all 
these  embarrassments  some  time  longer,  in  hopes  of  better  regulation  on  the 
arrival  of  Lord  Loudon,  to  whom  I  look  for  the  future  fate  of  Virginia." 

1776  "  The  casting  of  cannon  is  a  matter  that  ought  not  to  be  one  moment 
delayed ;  and  therefore  I  shall  send  Colonel  Knox  to  put  this  in  train,  as  also  to 
have  travelling  carriages  and  shot  provided,  and  laboratories  established,  one  in 
Hartford  and  another  in  York." 

1792  The  President  wrote  to  the  commissioners  of  the  Federal  Territory : 
"  I  am  very  apprehensive  if  your  next  campaign  in  the  Federal  City  is  not  marked 
with  vigor,  it  will  cast  such  a  cloud,  and  will  so  arm  the  enemies  of  the  measure, 
as  to  enable  them  to  give  it  a  wound  from  which  it  will  not  easily  recover.  I  am 
convinced  of  the  expediency  of  importing  a  number  of  workmen  from  Europe." 


"To  lose  such  a  man  at  such  a  time  is  no  common  calamity  to  the  world.  With  patriotic 
pride  we  review  the  life  of  our  Washington  and  compare  him  with  those  in  other  countries  who 
have  been  pre-eminent  in  fame." 

Samuel  Livermore,  President  of  the  Senate  pro  tern.  (Dec.  19,  1799). 


5  I 

S    p. 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


187 


DECEMBER  TWENTIETH. 

1780  General  Washington  wrote  to  Benjamin  Franklin,  in  Paris:  "Disap- 
pointed in  the  second  division  of  French  troops,  but  more  especially  in  the  ex- 
pected naval  superiority  which  was  the  pivot  upon  which  everything  turned,  we 
have  been  compelled  to  spend  an  inactive  campaign,  after  a  flattering  prospect 
at  the  opening  of  it,  and  vigerous  struggles  to  make  it  a  dicisive  one  on  our  part." 

1783  The  Commander-in-chief,  by  letter,  informed  the  Congress  of  his  arrival 
in  Annapolis,  and  of  his  intention  to  ask  permission  to  resign  the  commission  he 
had  "  the  honor  of  holding  in  their  service,"  and  requesting  to  be  informed  if  this 
should  be  done  by  letter  or  audience.  The  following  motions  were  adopted :  "  Re- 
solved, That  his  excellency  the  Commander  in  chief  be  admitted  to  a  public  au- 
dience on  Tuesday  next  at  twelve  o'clock.  Resolved,  That  a  public  entertainment 
be  given  the  Commander  in  chief  on  Monday  next." 

1798  Washington,  from  Mount  Vernon,  sent  $500  for  certain  changes  and 
decorations  intended  for  his  home  in  the  Federal  city,  he  having  seen  one  in 
Philadelphia  that  pleased  him.  The  residence  was  near  the  Capitol,  and  was 
burned  by  the  British  in  1814 ;  but,  the  walls  not  being  destroyed,  it  was  rebuilt. 


"This  weapon,  O  Freedom, 
Was  drawn  by  thy  son, 
And  it  never  was  sheathed 
Till  the  battle  was  won. 


"No  stain  of  dishonor 

Upon  it  we  see, 
'Twas  never  surrendered — 
Except  to  the  Free." 
George  P.  Morris  {Pennsylvania). 


DECEMBER  TWENTY-FIRST. 

1777  The  army  was  encamped  at  Valley  Forge  in  temporary  quarters  which 
were  covered  with  leaves.  Washington  had  offered  a  reward  of  one  hundred 
dollars  to  the  officer  or  soldier  who  should  substitute  a  covering  for  the  huts 
cheaper  and  more  quickly  made  than  boards.  "  The  General  congratulates  the 
Army,  on  the  arrival  of  a  French  Ship,  at  Portsmouth ;  with  48  brass  cannon, — 
4  pounders,  with  carriages  complete;  19  nine  inch  mortars;  2500  nine  inch 
bombs;  2000  four  pound  balls;  entrenching  tools;  4100  stands  of  arms;  a 
quantity  of  powder  —  and  61051  lbs  of  sulphur."     Orderly  Book  ( Valley  Forge). 

1779  From  Morristown,  Washington  wrote  Governor  Livingston  :  "  The  sit- 
uation of  our  army  at  this  time  makes  it  necessary  we  should  be  very  much  upon 
our  guard.  They  have  more  than  double  our  force  collected,  and  we  are  mould- 
ering away  daily.  Sir  Henry  Clinton  cannot  justify  remaining  inactive  with  a 
force  so  superior,  and  so  many  temptations  to  action." 

1783  At  Annapolis  the  Commander-in-chief  was  occupied  Sunday  morning 
in  returning  such  civil  and  official  visits  as  etiquette  required. 


"From  the  beginning  of  this  republic  the  American  view  of  war  was  nobler  and  wiser  than 
any  other  nation.  The  '  horrid  front'  of  America  was  never  that  of  a  despoiler  or  marauder  or 
vainglory  seeker.  '  I  heard  the  bullets  whistle/  wrote  Washington  to  his  mother  after  his  first 
battle,  '  and  believe  me  there  is  something  charming  in  the  sound.'  There  would  have  been  no 
charm  for  the  noble  soul  had  the  cause  of  the  battle  been  unrighteous." 

John  Boyle  O'Reilly  {Ireland). 


188  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 

DECEMBER  TWENTY-SECOND. 

1751  George  Washington  having  sufficiently  recovered  from  smallpox  to 
venture  upon  a  voyage,  sailed  from  Carlisle  Bay,  Barbados,  on  the  Industry,  and 
reached  Virginia  the  latter  part  of  January.  He  left  his  brother  on  the  islands, 
as  was  supposed  in  a  state  of  convalescence,  but  a  few  weeks  proved  that  the  im- 
provement was  only  temporary. 

1753  Major  Washington  and  party  reached  Venango,  where  they  met  their 
horses.  "  This  creek  is  extremely  crooked.  I  dare  say  the  distance  between  the 
fort  and  Venango  cannot  be  less  than  one  hundred  and  thirty  miles,  to  follow 
the  meanders."     Washington's  Diary. 

1783  Congress  gave  a  dinner,  of  over  two  hundred  covers,  to  the  Commander- 
in-chief  at  Annapolis.  At  night  a  magnificent  ball  was  given  in  his  honor  by 
the  Maryland  Assembly ;  Washington  opened  the  ball  with  the  charming  Mrs. 
James  MacCubbin,  gallantly  presenting  her  with  an  elegant  fan.  This  occasion 
was  graced  by  "  the  beauty  and  the  chivalry "  of  the  patriotic  old  colony,  pre- 
senting a  scene  that  has  never  been  surpassed  even  in  the  gay  old  town  of  "  Anne 
Arundel." 


"  As  if  the  chosen  instrument  of  Heaven,  selected  for  the  purpose  of  effecting  the  great  de- 
signs of  Providence  respecting  this  our  Western  Hemisphere,  it  was  the  peculiar  lot  of  this  dis- 
tinguished man,  at  every  epoch  when  the  destinies  of  his  country  seemed  dependent  on  the 
measures  adopted,  to  be  called  by  the  united  voice  of  his  fellow-citizens  to  those  high  stations 
on  which  the  success  of  those  measures  principally  depended." 

John  Marshall,  Chief  Justice  of  U.  S.  (Virginia). 

DECEMBER  TWENTY-THIRD. 

1780  The  Commander-in-chief,  in  an  order  from  New  Windsor  to  Colonel 
Humphreys,  said :  "  You  will  take  command  of  such  detachments  of  water  guards 
now  on  the  river,  as  you  may  think  necessary,  and  with  them  attempt  to  surprise 
and  bring  off  General  Knyphausen  from  Morris's  on  York  Island,  or  Sir  Henry 
Clinton,  from  Kennedys  House  in  the  city ;  if  from  the  tide,  weather  and  other 
circumstances,  you  shall  judge  the  enterprise  to  be  practicable." 

1783  To  the  Continental  Congress  George  Washington  resigned  his  com- 
mission as  "  Commander-in-chief  of  the  Continental  Army,  and  the  French  aids." 
He  said :  "  Having  now  finished  the  work  assigned  me,  I  retire  from  the  great 
theater  of  action,  and  bidding  an  affectionate  farewell  to  the  august  body,  under 
whose  orders  I  have  so  long  acted,  I  here  offer  my  commission  and  take  my 
leave  of  all  the  employments  of  public  life." 

1799  The  sixth  United  States  Congress,  at  Philadelphia,  passed  resolutions 
of  sorrow  upon  the  death  of  George  Washington,  and  appointed  the  22d  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1800,  as  a  day  of  official  and  national  obsequies.  General  Henry  Lee  of 
Virginia  was  selected  to  pronounce  the  eulogy  upon  this  occasion. 


"  Thanks  to  God,  His  glory  is  consummated,  Washington  yet  lives  on  earth  in  his  spotless 
example,  his  spirit  is  in  Heaven.  Let  his  countrymen  consecrate  the  memory  of  the  heroic 
General,  the  patriotic  Statesman  and  the  virtuous  Sage.  Let  them  teach  these  children  never 
to  forget  that  the  fruit  of  his  labours  and  his  example  are  their  inheritance." 

Samuel  Dexter,  Chairman  Committee  U.  S.  Senate  (1799). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  189 


DECEMBER  TWENTY-FOURTH. 


1775  General  Washington,  in  his  appeal  to  Governor  Cooke,  said:  "Not- 
withstanding the  great  pains  taken  by  the  Quartermaster  General  to  procure 
blankets  for  the  army,  he  finds  it  impossible  to  procure  a  number  sufficient.  Our 
soldiers  are  in  great  distress  j  and  I  know  of  no  other  way  to  remedy  the  evil, 
than  applying  to  you.  Cannot  some  be  got  from  the  different  towns?  Most 
houses  could  spare  one  ;  some  of  them  many." 

1776  The  Commander-in-chief  established  headquarters  at  Valley  Forge  in 
the  house  of  one  Isaac  Potts,  a  Quaker.  It  was  a  two-story  stone  building  to 
which  he  added  a  large  log-room.  The  troops  were  hard  at  work  being  "  hutted," 
as  it  was  termed.  The  camp  was  derisively  named  the  "  Indian  Village  *  by  the 
British,  who  were  passing  a  recklessly  gay  winter  in  Philadelphia,  and  losing  a 
great  opportunity.  Washington  wrote  to  the  Passamaquoddy  chiefs :  "  I  have  a 
piece  of  news  to  tell  you  which  I  hope  you  will  attend  to.  Our  enemy  the  King 
of  Great  Britain  endeavored  to  stir  up  all  the  Indians  from  Canada  to  South 
Carolina  against  us.  But  our  brethren  of  the  Six  Nations  and  their  allies  the 
Shawanese  and  the  Delawares  would  not  hearken  to  the  advice  of  the  messenger 
sent  among  them,  but  kept  fast  hold  of  our  ancient  covenant  chain." 


14  Whereas,  the  congress  of  the  United  States  in  honor  of  the  memory  of  General  George 
Washington  have  this  day  resolved,  that  it  be  recommended  to  the  people  of  the  United  States 
to  wear  crape  on  the  left  arm,  as  mourning,  for  thirty  days,  and  that  the  President  of  the  United 
States  be  requested  to  issue  a  proclamation  notifying  them  throughout  the  United  States  of  said 
recommendation."  John  Adams  {Dec.  24,  1799). 

DECEMBER  TWENTY-FIFTH. 

1776  General  Washington  crossed  the  Delaware  during  the  night  at  Mc- 
Konkeys  Ferry,  with  2,400  men  and  twenty  pieces  of  artillery,  and  marched  his 
army  to  Trenton.  This  movement  was  pronounced  one  of  the  most  hazardous 
feats  and  the  most  brilliant  manceuver  of  the  war.  The  place  is  called  "  Wash- 
ington's Crossing/7  and  the  boldness  and  skill  displayed  has  been  the  subject  of 
tongue,  pen,  and  pencil. 

1781  General  Washington,  his  wife,  and  family  took  Christmas  dinner  with 
their  intimate  friends  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robert  Morris  at  their  beautiful  home  on 
the  banks  of  the  Schuylkill. 

1783  George  Washington,  as  a  private  citizen,  surrounded  by  his  family, 
observed  the  Christmas  festivities  at  Mount  Vernon.  He  indulged  the  hope  of 
retirement  from  public  life,  and  in  the  congenial  occupation  of  agriculture  enjoy- 
ing the  domestic  felicity  which  his  happy  home  afforded. 


"  Dark  were  the  clouds  around  our  Washington,  "  It  was  the  birthday  of  the  Prince  of  Peace ; 
When,  on  the  river's  bank  that  night  he  stood.        But    not    as    yet    his    gracious    power    has 
The  clouds  without  were  dark;  but  darker  quenched 

those  The  names  of  war;   and  Washington  must 

Which  gathered  o'er  his  heart.  stand, 

But  he  stands  firm.     Nor  treacherous  friend       Defender  of  his  country,  'gainst  the  blows 

nor  foe  Of  tyrants  who  would  beat  her  to  the  earth; 

Has  power  to  shake  a  soul  so  truly  great.  His  country's  saviour,  not  yet  understood." 

Thomas  Hill,  LL.D.,  President  of  Harvard  (1799). 


190  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


DECEMBER  TWENTY-SIXTH. 


1753  "  The  horses  became  less  able  to  travel  every  day,  and  the  roads  be- 
coming much  worse  by  a  deep  snow,  continually  freezing;  therefore,  as  I  was 
uneasy  to  get  back,  to  make  Report  of  my  Proceedings  to  his  Honor,  the  Gov- 
ernor, I  determined  to  prosecute  my  journey  the  nearest  way  through  the  Woods, 
on  Foot.  I  took  my  necesary  papers ;  pulled  off  my  clothes  and  tied  myself  up 
in  a  Watch-coat.  Then  with  my  Gun  in  Hand,  and  Pack  on  my  Back,  in  which 
were  my  Papers  and  Provisions,  I  set  out  with  Mr.  Gist,  fitted  in  the  same 
manner."     Washington's  Diary. 

1776  The  Battle  of  Trenton  was  fought  this  day.  It  was  the  most  unex- 
pected engagement  of  the  war.  Washington  surprised  the  Hessians,  took  nearly 
a  thousand  prisoners,  several  cannon,  valuable  munitions  of  war,  and  recrossed 
the  Delaware  that  night.  At  this  engagement  the  gallant  Hessian  officer,  Colonel 
Rohl,  was  mortally  wounded. 

1799  At  Philadelphia  both  houses  of  Congress  marched  in  procession  from 
the  Hall  of  Independence  to  the  German  Lutheran  Church,  and  listened  to  a 
eulogy  upon  George  Washington,  pronounced  by  General  Henry  Lee  of  Virginia. 
In  this  address  appears  the  epigrammatic  phrase :  a  The  man  who  was  first  in  war; 
first  in  peace  j  and  first  in  the  hearts  of  his  countrymen." 


"To  his  equals  he  was  condescending;  to  his  inferiors  kind:  and  to  the  dear  object  of  his 
affections  exemplary  tender  correct  throughout,  vice  shuddered  in  his  presence  and  virtue 
always  felt  his  fostering  hand ;  the  purity  of  his  private  character  gave  effulgence  to  his  public 
virtues/'  Henry  Lee  (Virginia). 

DECEMBER  TWENTY-SEVENTH. 

1753  "  Near  Murdering  Town  we  fell  in  with  a  party  of  French  Indians  who 
had  lain  in  wait  for  us.  One  of  them  fired  at  Mr.  Gist  or  me,  not  15  steps  off, 
but  fortunately  missed.  We  took  this  Fellow  into  Custody,  and  kept  him  until 
about  9  o'clock  at  Night,  then  let  him  go  and  walked  all  the  remaining  part  of 
the  night  without  making  any  stops."     Washington's  Diary. 

1776  The  Congress,  in  session  at  Baltimore,  being  profoundly  impressed 
with  the  gravity  of  the  situation,  and  convinced  that  during  the  pending  crisis 
authority,  decision,  and  vigor  were  demanded  in  the  field,  invested  Washington 
with  full  power  for  six  months,  to  raise  troops,  levy  supplies,  appoint  officers, 
etc. ;  in  fact,  made  him  military  dictator. 

1778  The  Commander-in-chief  was  present  in  Philadelphia  at  the  Festival  of 
St.  John  the  Evangelist,  and  marched  in  the  masonic  procession.  In  the  sermon 
preached  at  Christ  Church  this  day  to  the  brethren,  Brother  Smith,  D.  D.,  referred 
to  Washington  as  "  the  Cincinnatus  of  America."  The  following  year  Washing- 
ton was  one  of  sixty-eight  visiting  brethren  at  the  American  Union  Lodge,  ob- 
serving the  same  festival  at  Morristown :  and  in  1782  he  celebrated  the  anniver- 
sary with  King  Solomon's  Lodge,  Poughkeepsie.  The  centenary  of  this  event 
is  commemorated  by  a  medal  issued  by  the  lodge. 


"How  truly  great  must  their  glory  be,  which  is  proclaimed  "by  the  savage  of  the  woods,  in 
concert  with  all  the  civilized  nations  of  the  world." 

Simon  Chaudron,  French  Lodge  VAmenite"  (1800). 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY.  191 


DECEMBER  TWENTY-EIGHTH. 


1758  Colonel  George  Washington  resigned  command  of  the  Virginia  troops 
to  take  his  seat  in  the  House  of  Burgesses.  This  body  voted  him  the  thanks  of 
the  colony,  and  his  confused  attempt  at  a  reply  was  interrupted  by  the  Speaker : 
"  Sit  down,  Mr.  Washington  —  Sit  down  your  modesty  is  equal  to  your  valor 
and  that  surpasses  the  power  of  any  language  I  possess." 

1778  General  Washington  wrote  to  Benjamin  Harrison:  "If  I  was  to  be 
called  upon  to  draw  a  picture  of  the  times  and  of  Men,  from  what  I  have  seen 
and  heard,  and  in  part  known,  I  should  in  one  word  say  that  idleness,  dissipation 
&  extravagance  seems  to  have  laid  hold  of  most  of  them.  That  speculation, 
peculation  and  an  insatiable  thirst  for  riches  seems  to  have  got  the  better  of 
every  other  consideration  and  almost  every  order  of  men.  I  need  not  repeat  to 
you  that  I  am  alarmed  and  wish  to  see  my  countrymen  roused." 

1781  The  Commander-in-chief,  in  obedience  to  command,  appeared  before 
Congress  in  Philadelphia.  He  was  escorted  and  introduced  by  two  members, 
and  received  the  address  of  thanks  and  congratulation  upon  the  evacuation  of 
Yorktown  from  President  John  Hanson.  After  replying  in  a  few  short  sen- 
tences, he  retired. 


"  There's  a  star  in  the  west  that  shall  never  go  down, 

Till  the  records  of  valour  decay ; 
We  must  worship  its  light,  though  'tis  not  our  own, 

For  liberty  bursts  in  its  ray. 
Shall  the  name  of  a  Washington  ever  be  heard 

By  a  freeman,  and  thrill  not  his  breast? 
Is  there  one  out  of  bondage  that  hails  not  the  word 

As  the  Bethlehem—  star  of  the  west  V1  London  Dispatch. 

DECEMBER  TWENTY-NINTH. 

1753  Major  Washington  and  Mr.  Gist  "with  but  one  poor  Hatchet"  suc- 
ceeded in  making  a  raft  to  cross  the  Monongahela  River.  Washington  was 
thrown  out  in  the  middle  of  the  stream  between  the  floating  ice,  but  was  saved 
u  by  catching  hold  of  one  of  the  Raft  Logs."  Mr.  Gist  was  so  frost-bitten  that 
they  remained  on  an  island  overnight  in  this  suffering  condition. 

1782  Washington  wrote  to  Rochambeau :  "  It  is  with  infinite  satisfaction, 
that  I  embrace  the  earliest  opportunity  of  sending  to  Philadelphia  the  cannon 
which  Congress  were  pleased  to  present  your  Excellency.  I  could  not  resist  the 
pleasure  of  forwarding  these  pieces  to  you  previous  to  your  departure,  in  hopes 
the  inscription  and  devices,  as  well  as  the  execution  may  be  agreeable  to  your 
wishes."  Rochambeau  "  instructed  the  French  Minister  to  keep  them  till  peace, 
when  they  may  be  carried  over  without  danger  of  being  taken." 

1791  The  "President  said  to  Cornplanter,  Half  town,  and  Great-tree,  chiefs  of 
the  Seneca  Nation :  "  The  murders  that  have  been  committed  on  some  of  your 
people  by  the  bad  white  men,  I  sincerely  lament,  and  reprobate.  I  earnestly 
hope  that  the  real  culprets  will  be  secured  and  punished  as  they  deserve." 


"Frederick  the  Great  considered  the  achievements  of  Washington  between  the  25th  of  Dec. 
and  4th  of  Jan.,  1776,  1777 — ten  days— the  most  brilliant  in  the  annals  of  military  achieve- 
ments." John  FisJce,  LL.  D.  (Connecticut). 


192  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


DECEMBER  THIRTIETH. 


1775  "  As  the  General  is  informed  that  numbers  of  free  negroes  are  desirous 
of  enlisting,  he  gives  leave  to  the  recruiting  officers  to  entertain  them  and  prom- 
ises to  lay  the  matter  before  the  Congress  who  he  doubts  not  will  approve  of  it." 
Orderly  Booh  (Cambridge). 

1776  Reinforced  by  recruits,  General  Washington  determined  to  return  and 
occupy  Trenton,  where  he  found  comfortable  quarters  in  "  The  True  American 
Inn."  Owing  to  heavy  ice,  the  recrossing  of  the  Delaware  was  dangerous  and 
tedious,  occupying  two  days.  The  General  proudly  said :  "  It  was  safely  effected 
with  the  troops  that  were  with  me  on  the  morning  of  the  26th." 

1781  The  Commander-in-chief  wrote  to  General  Lincoln,  the  Secretary  of 
War,  regarding  the  "two  stands  of  colors  taken  at  Yorktown":  "You have  en- 
hanced the  value  of  the  trophies  with  which  Congress  have  been  pleased  to  honor 
me  in  their  resolve  of  the  29th  of  Oct.,  by  the  polite  and  affectionate  manner  of 
presenting  them." 


"  For  a  life  devoted  to  your  service,  what  does  Washington  deserve  ?  The  rising  trophied 
column  shall  from  far  attract  the  admiring  eye.  The  enduring  statue,  with  emulative  care,  will 
present  to  revering  posterity  his  august  attitude  and  awful  form.  History  shall  be  immortal, 
as  just  to  his  worth.  Poesy  shall  robe  him  in  unborrowed  charms.  A  city  after  the  majestic 
model  of  his  mind,  bearing  his  name,  shall  concentrate  our  national  glory,  as  he  does  our  affec- 
tions. These  a  grateful  empire  will  voluntarily  pay ;  but  he  deserves  more ;  he  deserves  the  only 
reward  he  would  ever  accept,  he  deserves  that  you  be  faithful  to  yourselves,  that  you  be  free, 
united,  and  happy."  Charles  PincJcney  Sumner  (Massachusetts,  1799). 

DECEMBER  THIRTY-FIRST. 

1753  "  I  went  up  about  three  miles  to  the  Mouth  of  Youghiogany  to  visit 
Queen  Aliquippa,  who  had  expressed  great  concern  that  we  passed  her  in  going 
to  the  Fort.  I  made  her  a  Present  of  a  Watch-coat  and  a  Bottle  of  Rum  ;  which 
latter  was  thought  much  the  better  Present  of  the  Two."     Washington's  Diary. 

1758  The  officers  of  the  Virginia  troops  from  Fort  Loudoun  sent  Colonel 
Washington  at  Williamsburg  an  address  upon  his  resignation  of  the  command 
of  the  Virginia  forces,  expressing  their  affection,  respect,  and  best  wishes  for  his 
future  prosperity  and  welfare. 

1775  The  Commander-in-chief,  never  failing  to  note  a  meritorious  deed, 
wrote  to  the  president  of  Congress :  "  General  Lee  has  just  returned  from  his 
excursion  to  Rhode  Island.  He  has  pointed  out  the  best  method  the  island  would 
admit  of  for  its  defense.  He  has  endeavored  all  in  his  power  to  make  friends  of 
those  that  were  our  enemies." 

1788  To  Samuel  Hanson,  Washington  wrote :  "  If  I  should  once  more  be  led 
into  the  walks  of  public  life,  it  is  my  fixed  determination  to  enter  there,  not  only 
unfettered  by  promises,  but  even  un  chargeable  with  creating  or  feeding  the  ex- 
pectation of  any  man  living  for  my  assistance  to  office." 


"  Washington  is  the  mightiest  name  of  earth.  Long  since  mightiest  in  the  cause  of  civil 
liberty;  still  mightiest  in  moral  reformation.  On  that  name  no  eulogy  is  expected.  It  cannot 
be.  To  add  brightness  to  the  sun,  or  glory  to  the  name  of  Washington  is  alike  impossible.  Let 
none  attempt  it.  In  solemn  awe  pronounce  the  name  and  in  its  naked,  deathless  splendor  leave 
it  shining  on."  Abraham  Lincoln  (Kentucky),  President  of  the  United  States. 


INDEXES. 


INDEX  OF  OPINIONS. 


The  estimate  of  an  individual's  claim  to  fame  cannot  be  established  in  less  than  a  generation.  Utter- 
ances most  fervent  change  to  faint  praise,  and  feverish  expressions  of  admiration  are  short-lived.  In 
rare  instances,  of  which  George  Washington  is  an  example,  the  enthusiasm  of  contemporaries  is  echoed 
and  swelled  a  century  later.     The  result  may  with  confidence  be  accepted  as  the  world's  verdict. 

This  record  is  inscribed  from  Pitt  to  Gladstone ;  from  Erskine  to  Macaulay ;  from  Byron  to  Tenny- 
son ;  from  Voltaire  and  Lafayette  to  Brougham  and  Thackeray  ;  from  Adams,  Jefferson,  and  Jackson  to 
Lincoln,  Harrison,  and  Cleveland;  from  Jay  to  Fuller;  from  John  Marshall  and  Washington  Irving 
to  Bradley  Johnston  and  Cabot  Lodge  ;  from  Laurens  to  Winthrop,  Prentice  to  Whittier ;  from  Key  to 
Lowell  —  each  bringing  an  analysis  that  shall  forever  burn,  an  incense  before  his  illustrious  character. 

In  the  quotations  culled  from  the  vast  mass  of  opinions, — many  hundred, — the  quaint,  even  amusing, 
are  not  rejected,  but  have  been  mingled  with  the  most  choice  utterances  of  English,  their  very  crudity 
making  conspicuous  their  sincerity.  The  endeavor  has  been  to  gather  the  opinions  of  men  of  every 
degree. 


Abbott,  Rev.  John  S.  C,  7. 
Abrahams,  Annie  Alido,  109. 
Adams,  Abigail,  4. 
Adams,  Charles  Francis,  150. 
Adams,  John,  91,  189. 
Adams,  John  Quincy,  57. 
Adams,  Samuel,  11. 
Alden,  Timothy,  8. 
Alfieri,  173. 

Alison,  Sir  Archibald,  157. 
Allen,  James  Lane,  53. 
Alsop,  Richard,  170. 
Ames,  Fisher,  64. 
Andrews,  John,  D.  D.,  149. 
Annapolis,  171. 
Anon.,  57,  81,  163,  179. 
Armitage,  Thomas,  D.  D.,  89. 
Arnold,  Samuel  Greene,  155. 
Arthur,  Chester  A.,  27. 

Baker,  William  S.,  18. 
Bancroft,  Aaron,  52. 
Bancroft,  George,  83. 
Barb^-Marbois,  Marquis  Francois 

de,  112. 
Barbour,  James,  156. 
Barnes,  Alexander,  116. 
Barnum,  Phineas  T.,  70. 
Bedford,  Gunning,  106. 
Bell,  John,  22. 
Bently,  William,  153. 
Bethune,  George  Washington,  174. 
Bigelow,  Timothy,  131. 
Blanchard,  Claude,  137. 
Boner,  John  Henry,  151. 
Botta,  Carlo,  124. 
Bourg,  Baron  Cromot  du,  152. 
Boyesen,  Hjalmar  Hjorth,  59. 
Braddock,  General  Edward,  40. 
Brent,  John  Carroll,  20. 
Brissot,  Jean  Pierre,  135. 
British  Register,  101. 


Broglie,  Prince  de,  73. 
Brooks,  Erastus,  166. 
Brooks,  Phillips,  D.  D.,  2. 
Brougham,  Lord,  115. 
Brown,  Henry  Armitt,  25. 
Bryant,  William  Cullen,  28. 
Bryce,  James,  M.  P.,  133. 
Buchan,  Earl,  62. 
Bulow,  Hans  von,  109. 
Burns,  Robert,  13. 
Burroughs,  Charles,  41. 
Byron,  130. 

Caldwell,  Charles,  M.  D.,  180. 
Caldwell,  Thomas,  M.  D.,  46. 
Calvert,  George  Henry,  61. 
Carey,  William  P.,  124. 
Carlyle,  118. 
Carrington,  Henry  Bebee,  LL.  D., 

169. 
Carroll,  Right  Rev.  John,  163. 
Channing,  WiUiam  Ellery,D.D.,47. 
Chastellux,  Marquis  de,  134. 
Chateaubriand,  36. 
Chaudron,  Simon,  190. 
Choate,  Rufus,  34. 
Clark,  Thomas  M.,  D.  D.,  39. 
Cleveland,  Grover,  146. 
Combe,  George,  107. 
Conway,  Moncure  D.,  103. 
Conway,  Gen.  Thomas,  14. 
Cook,  Eliza,  145. 
Cooke,  Rose  Terry,  37. 
Corry,  John,  127. 
Cox,  Samuel  Sullivan,  5. 
Cowdin,  James  B.,  151. 
Cranch,  Christopher  Pearse,  76. 
Crittenden,  John  J.,  26. 
Curtis,  George  William,  35. 


Daniel,  John  W. 
Davis,  John,  86. 


142. 


Dawes,  Thomas,  175. 

Depew,  Chauncey  Mitchell,  LL.D., 

58. 
D'Estaing,  Count,  146. 
Dexter,  Samuel,  188. 
De  Witt,  Cornelis,  126. 
Dick,  Elisha  Cullen,  M.  D.,  185. 
Dinwiddie,   Gov.,  to   Gen.   Aber- 

crombie,  56. 
Dorsheimer,  William,  106. 
Dosstan,  Rudolph  van,  181. 
Drake,  Joseph  Rodman,  116. 
Dumas,  Count,  70. 
Dunham,  Captain  Josiah,  95. 
Durrett,  Reuben  T.,  142. 
Duyckinck,  Evert  A.,  37. 
Dwight,  Timothy,D.D.,LL.D.,56. 

Edgeworth,  Maria,  162. 

Edmonds,  Cyrus  R.,  147. 

Erskine,  Lord,  to  Washington,  71. 

Essex  Journal,  161. 

Evarts,  William  Maxwell,  100. 

Everett,  Edward,  42. 

Everett,  Oliver,  167. 

Faulcon,  Felix,  99. 

Fersen,  Count  de,  141. 

Fiske,  John,  LL.  D.,  191. 

Fontanes,  Marquis  Louis  de,  10. 

Fox,  Charles  James,  6. 

Franklin,  Benjamin,  to  Washing- 
ton, 159. 

Franklin's  Will  —  Codicil,  8. 

Frelinghuyzen,  Frederick,  24. 

Freneau,  Philip,  153. 

Frothingham,  Octavius  E.,  D.  D., 
115. 

Fuller,  Melville  W.,  11. 

Gales,  Joseph,  9. 

Garfield,  James  Abraham,  138. 


195 


196 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


Garland,  Augustus  H.,  98. 
Gentleman's  Magazine,  126. 
Gerard,  6. 

Gibbons,  John,  Cardinal,  82. 
Gist,  Mordecai,  172. 
Gladstone,  William  E.,  98,  132. 
Gottheil,  Gustav,  D.  D.,  87. 
Grahame,  James,  LL.  D.,  87. 
Grattan,  Sir  Henry,  110. 
Greely,  Adolphus  Washington,  157. 
Green,  John  Richard,  LL.  D.,  107. 
Greene,  General  Nathaniel,  85. 
Greenwood,  Grace,  39. 
Griffin,  John,  118. 
Griswold,  Rufus  Wilmot,  75. 
Guizot,  117. 

Hale,  Edward  Everett,  77. 
Hale,  Sarah  Josepha,  16. 
Hamlin,  Hannibal,  105. 
Hamilton,  Alexander,  101. 
Hamilton,  Sir  William,  48. 
Hanson,  Charles  W.,  167. 
Harris,  William  Torrey,  165. 
Harrison,  Benjamin,  40. 
Harte,  Francis  Bret,  29. 
Hawthorne,  Nathaniel,  92. 
Hay,  John,  171. 
Hazlitt,  William,  46. 
Headley,  Rev.  Joel  Tyler,  69. 
Herzburg,  Count,  122. 
Hildreth,  Richard,  108. 
Hill,  Thomas,  LL.  D.,  18   9. 
Hilliard,  Henry  W.,  10. 
Hoar,  George  Frisbie,  128. 
Hoist,  Dr.  von,  80. 
Hopkins,  Lemuel,  34. 
Hopkins,  Samuel  M.,  179. 
Hopkinson,  Francis,  42. 
Hoppin,  James  Mason,  LL.  D.,  85. 
Houssaye,  Arsene,  67. 
Howard,  Oliver  Otis,  30. 
Howell,  Richard,  59. 
Howland,  George,  175. 
Humphreys,  Col.  David,  89. 
Huntington,  Frederick  D.,  100. 

"Independence,"  58. 
Irving,  Washington,  49. 
Isaacs,  Rabbi  A.  S.,  55. 

Jackson,  Andrew,  168. 
Jackson,  Major  William,  184. 
Jay,  John,  111. 
Jay,  Rev.  Wm,  33. 
Jefferson,  Thomas,  113. 
Jones,  John  Paul,  130. 
Johnston,  Bradley  T.,  54. 
Johnston,  Frances  A.,  164. 
Johnston,  John  B.,  D.  D.,  119. 

Key,  Francis  Scott,  136. 

King,  Rufus,  74. 

Kirkland,  Caroline  Matilda,  61. 

Kirkland,  John  Thornton,  LL.  D., 

50. 
Knox,  Hugh,  D.  D.,  94. 
Knox,  Samuel,  26. 

Lafayette,  98,  114. 
Lamartine,  48. 
Lamb,  Martha  J.,  65. 


Lanman,  Charles,  140. 

Lansdowne,  Marquis  of,  141. 

Lear,  Tobias,  184. 

Lecky,  William  E.  H.,  134. 

Lee,  Fitzhugh,  55. 

Lee,  Henry,  190. 

Leighton,  Sir  Frederick,  111. 

Lettsom,  Dr.,  7. 

Lieber,  Francis,  75. 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  192. 

Lincoln,  General  Benjamin,  38. 

Linn,  Rev.  John  Blair,  A.  M.,  148. 

Livermore,  Samuel,  186. 

Lodge,  Henry  Cabot,  97. 

London  Chronicle,  84. 

London  Courier,  53. 

London  Despatch,  191. 

Long,  Elizabeth  Cary,  177. 

Lossing,  Benson  John,  79. 

Low,  Samuel,  60. 

Lowell,  98. 

Luzerne,  19. 

Macaulay,  Thomas  Babington,  14. 
Macintosh,  Sir  James,  164. 
Macready,  William  Charles,  149. 
Madison,  James,  128. 
Mandrillon,  Joseph,  69. 
Marble  block  sent  by  Greece  for 

Washington  Monument,  12. 
Marshall,  John,  188. 
Mason,  John  Mitchell,  D.  D.,  18, 

183. 
Massachusetts  Legislature,  122. 
Massey,  Rev.  Lee,  165. 
McCarthy,  Justin,  160. 
McLane,  Robert  M.,  72. 
McMasters,  Hugh,  68. 
Medal,  U.  S.  Mint,  168. 
Mercer,  Captain  George,  1. 
Middleton,  Edmund  Smith,  186. 
Minot,  George  Richard,  159. 
Mirabeau,  16. 
Monroe,  Harriet,  155. 
Moore,  Thomas,  104. 
Morris,  George  P.,  187. 
Morris,  Gouverneur,  105. 
Morris,  Martin  F.,  15. 
Moustier,  Comte  de,  20. 
Muench,  Hugo,  110. 

Napoleon,  21,  66. 

Naquet,  Alfred  Joseph,  63. 

Nicolay,  John  G.,  31. 

Oratorio  Ode,  158. 
O'Reilly,  John  Boyle,  187. 

Paine,  Robert  Treat,  Jr.,  139. 
Paine,  Thomas,  73. 
Pan,  Jacques  Mallet  du,  183. 
Parke,  John,  147. 
Parker,  Joseph,  D.  D.,  102. 
Parker,  Myron  M.,  G.  M.,  51. 
Parker,  Theodore,  133. 
Parton,  James,  104. 
Paulding,  James  Kirke,  23. 
Peabody,  Andrew  P.,  LL.  D.,  17. 
Pennsylvania  Journal,  174. 
Perry,  William  Stevens,  12. 
Phelps,  Edward  John,  143. 
Phillips,  Charles,  185. 
Phister,  Thomas  R.,  21. 


Pickett,  James  C,  93. 
Ponceau,  Pierre  du,  36. 
Potter,  Henry  O,  D.  D.,  35. 
Powell,  John  W.,  144. 
Prentice,  George  D.,  88. 
Prescott,  William  Hickling,  79. 
Proctor,  Edna  Dean,  99. 
Putnam,  James  Osborne,  139. 

Quincy,  Eliza  Morton,  68. 

Ramsay,  David,  LL.  D.,  132. 
Rangabe\  Alexander  Rizo,  154. 
Raumer,  George  von,  44. 
Revolutionary  Song,  148. 
Ritchie,  Thomas,  72. 
Roberdeau,  Colonel  Isaac,  156. 
Robertson,  Archibald,  90. 
Robin,  Abbe"  Claude  C,  25. 
Roche,  James  Jeffrey,  182. 
Rouarie,  Marquis  de  la,  150. 
Rowson,  Susanna,  114. 
Rush,  Richard,  131. 
Russell,  Lord  John,  88. 

Sangster,  Margaret  Elizabeth,  92, 
Sartain,  John,  82. 
Schaff,  Philip,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  152. 
Schenck,  Noah  Hunt,  D.  D.,  123. 
Schofield,  John  M.,  U.  S.  A.,  120. 
Segur,  Count  de,  15. 
Seward,  William  Henry,  62. 
Sharpless,  James,  54. 
Shelley,  Percy  Bysshe,  169. 
Shroeder,  John  Frederick, D.D., 84. 
Sigourney,  Lydia  H.,  140. 
SiUy,  Chevalier  de,  29. 
Sismondi,  47. 

Slaughter,  Phillip,  D.  D.,  182. 
Smith,  Elizabeth  Oakes,  44. 
Smith,  George  Williamson,  D.  DM 

176. 
Smith,  Goldwin,  LL.  D.,  136. 
Smith,  Jeremiah,  D.  D.,  162. 
Smith,  Samuel  Stanhope,LL.D.,95. 
Smith,  S.  F.,  D.  D.,  28. 
Smucker,  Samuel  M.,  52. 
Smyth,  William,  LL.  D.,  160. 
Song,  22,  108. 
Southey,  Robert,  27. 
Sparks,  Jared,  41. 
Spofford,  Ainsworth  R.,  96. 
Sprague,  William  BueU,  D.  D.,  121 
Stanley,  Dean,  76. 
Stevenson,  Adlai  E.,  138. 
Stockton,  Francis  Richard,  94. 
Story,  Joseph,  102. 
Storrs,  Richard  S.,  D.  D.,  173. 
Street,  Alfred  B.,  137. 
Strong,  Nathan,  D.  D.,  143. 
Sullivan,  William,  123. 
Sumner,  Charles,  125. 
Sumner,  Charles  Pinckney,  192. 
Swartz,  Joel,  D.  D.,  135. 

Talleyrand,  2. 

Tappan,  David,  D.  D.,  43. 

Tennyson,  91. 

Thackeray,    William   Makepeace, 

178. 
The  Independent,  9. 
Thomas,  E.  S.,  38. 


INDEX  OF  OPINIONS. 


197 


Thompson,  Maurice,  172. 
Thoreau,  Henry  David,  19. 
Toner,  Joseph  Meredith,  M.  D.,129. 
Tuckerman,  Henry  Theodore,  43. 
Tupper,  Martin  Farquhar,  103. 

Upham,  Charles  Wentworth,  D.D., 
66. 

Vance,  Zebulon  B.,  5. 
Vining,  John,  184. 
Voltaire,  63. 
Voorhees,  Daniel  W.,  77. 

Walpole,  Horace,  3. 
Wansey,  Henry,  13. 
Ward,  Elizabeth  Stuart  Phelps,  78. 


Warrior,  Big,  to  General  Jackson, 
50. 

Washington,  George,  74,  93,  170. 

Washington,  Mary,  24,  125. 

Washington  to  his  troops  at  York- 
town,  154. 

Washington  to  Governor  Patrick 
Henry,  166. 

Washington  to  President  Adams, 
80. 

Washington  to  Captain  Samuel 
Morris,  71. 

Washington  to  Pierre  Auguste 
Adet,  3. 

Watson,  Elkanah,  30. 

Webster,  Daniel,  67. 

Weems,  Rev.  Mason  L.,  78 

Weld,  Isaac,  158. 


West,  Samuel,  D.  D.,  181. 
Wharton,  Charles Henry,D.D.,  121. 
Wharton,  Rev.  Dr.,  45. 
Wheatley,  Phillis,  31. 
Whipple,  Edwin  Percy,  127. 
White,  Captain  Samuel,  60. 
White,  Richard  Grant,  119. 
Whitman,  Walt,  117. 
Whittier,  John  Greenleaf,  180. 
Wilbur,  Richard  Hooker,  45. 
Willard,  Frances  Elizabeth,  51. 
Williams,  John  Mason,  LL.  D.,  90. 
Williams,  William,  112. 
Wilson,  Peter,  178. 
Wilson,  Rev.  Robert,  23. 
Winthrop,  Robert  C,  4. 
Wirt,  William,  83. 
WooUey,  Celia  Parker,  86. 


INDEX  OF  YEARS. 

1674  — p.  33.  118,  125,  127,  128,  134,  135,  139,  140, 141, 142, 

1732  — pp.  22,  28.  143,  145,  146,  147,  148,  151,  155,  156,  163, 172, 

1743  — pp.  55,  106.  181,187,188. 

1747  — pp.  30,  74.  1781— pp.  6,  8,  12,  13,  16,  20,  23,  24,  25,  27,  29, 

1748  — pp.  38,  39,  44,  50,  55.  36,  39,  40,  41,  44,  46,  53,  57,  64,  65,  69,  72,  73, 

1749  —  p.  108.  76,  78,  88,  93,  95,  97,  99,  105,  111,  120,  122, 

1751  — pp.  138,  160,  162,  168,  188.  123,  125,  126,  127,  128,  130,  131,  132,  133, 134, 

1752  — pp.  31,  75,  110,  163.  135,  136,  138,  140,  143,  144,  145,  148,  149, 151, 

1753  — pp.  129,  160,  173,  174,  182,  184,  188,  190,  152,  153,  154,  155,  158,  159,  163,  167,  168,  171, 
191,  192.  172,  174,  175,  176,  185,  189,  192. 

1754 _ pp.  4?  g,  48, 70, 74, 75, 79,  80,  82,  84,  86, 99.  1782  — pp.  2,  5,  11,  17,  21,  26,  27,  28,  39,  43,  49, 

1755  — pp.  40,  50,  56,  60,  68,  72,  80,  84,  97,  101,  62,  63,  66,  70,  76,  79,  83,  85,  93,  94,  95,  96,  103, 

103,  106,  110,  114,  120,  121,  150,  180.  105,  106,  108,  109,  113,  118,  122,  133,  136, 139, 

1756 —  pp.  7,  14,  19,  21,  29,  35,  58,  60,  76,  85,  142,  146,  147,  156,  158,  166,  167,  171, 177,  180, 

115,  119,  127,  178,  186.  184,  191. 

1757— pp.  80,  87,  91,  111,  114,  144,  165.  1783— pp.  5,  6,  8,  11,  12,  20,  25,  38,  41,  42,  44, 

1758 —pp.  3,  30,  51,  67,  87,  89, 104, 106,  107,  109,  48,  51,  53,  58,  66,  68,  69,  71,  82,  83,  84,  85,  86, 

129,  169,  173,  191,  192.  90,  97,  102,  115,  116,  119,  121,  122,  125,  126, 

1759  — p.  4.  134,  138,  141,  151,  160,  162,  165,  168,  170,  173, 

1760  — pp.  15,  24,  36,  42,  43,  46,  58,  62,  74,  149.  175,  177,  178,  179,  181,  182, 183,  185,  187, 188, 

1761  — p.  104.  189. 

1763  — pp.  62,  97.  1784— pp.  10,  11,  12,  18,  23,  30,  51,  73,  87,  92, 

1765  — p.  139.  104,  124,  129,  150,  164,  169,  172,  173, 174,  175. 

1768  — pp.  23,  85,  139,  177.  1785— pp.  3,  19,  21,  30,  40,  61,  65,  73,  78,  96, 

1769  — pp.  15,  22,  80,  122,  179.  132,  142,  148,  149,  152,  153,  176. 

1770  — pp.  148,  185.  1786— pp.  16,  20,  22,  23,  36,  42,  53,  78,  79,  89, 
1771— pp.  35,  67,  81,  83.  90,  91,  119,  133,  150,  156.  179. 

1772  — pp.  75,  104.  1787  — pp.  24,  49,  62,  69,  71,  72,  77,  81,  89,  98, 

1773  — pp.  50,  82,  90.  102,  112,  115,  123,  130,  137,  138,  139,  150,  180, 

1774  — pp.  18,  33,  47,  77,  78,  81,  106,  113,  115,  183,  186. 

120,  128,  131,  132,  141,  149,  152.  1788— pp.  2,  5,  6,  20,  23,  27,  34,  61,  63,  66,  76, 

1775  — pp.  9,  43,  57,  61,  67,  70,  83,  88,  89,  90,  91,  85,  91,  93,  109,  110,  132,  162,  192. 

92,  93,  94,  96,  98,  99,  100,  101,  104,  106,  107,  1789— pp.  37,  46,  49,  52,  56,  57,  59,  60,  62,  63, 
108,  110,  111,  112,  114,  115,  117,  119,  120, 123,  64,  68,  70,  74,  79,  110,  116,  118,  125,  134,  140, 
126,  129,  130,  136,  146,  147,  157,  159, 160, 163,  142,  145,  146,  150,  151,  152,  153,  154,  155,  157, 
164,  165,  166,  167,  169,  170,  174,  176,  180,  182,  158,  159,  160,  161,  162,  164,  165,  166,  167, 168, 
184,  189,  192.  170,  171,  173,  184. 

1776  — pp.  1,  3,  4,  6,  8,  9,  10,  12,  13,  16,  17,  19,  1790— pp.  5,  11,  12,  19,  28,  29,  45,  50,  54,  63, 
20,  21,  25,  26,  30,  31,  34,  35,  36,  37,  38,  41,  42,  79,  80,  82,  83,  88,  105,  118,  119, 121,  122,  128, 
43,  44,  45,  47,  48,  50,  51,  53,  54,  55,  56,  58,  63,  171,  180,  181. 

71,  73,  75,  76,  78,  82,  95,  96,  101,  102,  103, 105,  1791— pp.  4,  7, 9,  10, 13, 15,  18,  30,  43,  45,  48,  52, 

108,  112,  114,  116,  117,  119,  120,  124, 126, 127,  53,  55,  61,  63,  66,  68,  71,  72,  75,  77,  81,  87, 100, 
128,  132,  135,  136,  137,  140,  154, 156, 159, 164,  107,  111,  117,  128,  133,  157,  161,  163,  171, 191. 
166,  169,  170,  171,  172,  175,  178,  181, 183,  186,  1792— pp.  26,  27,  41,  51,  54,  65,  81,  143,  151, 

189,  190,  192.  153,  159,  169,  186. 

1777— pp.  1,  2,  3,  7,  8,  10,  13,  24,  26,  27,  33,  47,  1793— pp.  11,  16,  18,  34,  35,  44,  60,  62,  84,  138, 

49,  55,  57,  63,  78,  84,  87,  88,  94,  99,  102,  109,  156,  178,  179,  183. 

112,  114,  116,  118,  120,  123,  124, 125,  126, 130,  1794— pp.  2,  29,  31,  52,  76,  80,  118,  131, 141,  143, 

132,  133,  134,  135,  137,  139,  142, 147, 148,  149,  145,  147,  150,  153,  155,  169,  170,  176. 

152,  154,  160,  161,  164,  165,  168,  169,  172, 173,  1795  — pp.  9,  13,  26,  29,  111,  117,  122,  124,  125, 

179  185  187  189  137  142  181. 

1778— pp.'  2,  3,  6,  13,  14,  15,  16,  18,  22,  25,  33,  1796— pp.' 3,  6,'  14,  17,  27,  28,  52,  54,  72,  74,  84, 

38,  39,  40,  43,  45,  47,  52,  59,  60,  65,  67,  68,  69,  87,  101,  108,  137,  138,  168,  175,  180. 

71,  74,  85,  90,  91,  94,  95,  96,  98,  100,  103,  104,  1797  — pp.  7,  10,  31,  34,  35,  37,  51,  92,  157,  186. 

109,  115,  123,  131,  135,  141,  147,  149,  158,  181,  1798— pp.  15,  46,  92,  98,  100,  103,  166, 167, 178, 

190,  191.  184,  187. 

1779— pp.  9,  10, 17, 18, 19,  22,  26,  29,  31,  37,  40,  1799  — pp.  12,  14,  28,  34,  45,  93,  101,  121,  167, 

42,  45,  46,  48,  56,  60,  66,  67,  69,  77,  82,  86,  92,  177,  182,  183,  184,  185,  186,  188,  190. 

93,  94,  99,  102,  107,  112,  113, 116,  121,  124,  127,  1800  — pp.  1,  11,  28. 
144,  161,  180,  187.  1802  — p.  76. 

1780— pp.  2,  5,  7,  14,  19,  24,  31,  59,  61,  64,  69,  1837— p.  148. 

70,  73,  81,  100, 105,  107,  110,  111,  113, 114, 117,  1848— p.  99. 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


Adams,  John,  member  of  the  sec- 
ond Continental  Congress,  70; 
at  Watertown,  10 ;  chief  of  the 
Great  Council  Fire  at  Philadel- 
phia, 13 ;  introduces  a  resolution 
that  Congress  give  a  vote  of 
thanks  to  General  "Washington, 
45 ;  inaugurated  second  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  35. 

Adams,  John  Quincy,  appointed 
Minister  to  The  Hague,  80. 

Adams,  Samuel,  seconds  the  nomi- 
nation of  Washington,  88. 

Adet,  Citizen,  French  Ambassa- 
dor, 3. 

Agricultural  Society  established, 
149. 

Alaquippa,  Queen,  and  her  son,  86. 

Albany,  N.  Y.,  receives  Washing- 
ton, 94. 

Alexandria,  Washington  allows 
servants  to  go  to  races  at,  150. 

<<r  Alexandria,"  Congress  of,  56. 

Alexandria,  General  Washington 
thanks  the  citizens  of,  171. 

Allen,  Colonel,  the  brave,  54,  71. 

American  Philosophical  Society 
elects  Washington  a  member, 
24,  183. 

American  Union  Lodge,  Reading, 
Mass.,  45. 

Andr6,  Maj or,  in  disguise,  captured 
nearTarrytown,  140 ;  court  mar- 
tial ordered  for,  143 ;  pronounced 
a  spy,  143 ;  his  request  to  be  shot 
denied,  145 ;  executed  at  12 
o'clock,  146. 

Annapolis  receives  Washington 
returning  from  Yorktown,  171. 

Apollo  room,  Raleigh  Tavern,  113. 

Aquackenonk  Bridge,  troops  pass 
over,  171. 

Arbuthnot,  Admiral,  sailing  of, 
with  British  reinforcements,  112. 

Armies,  allied,  cross  at  Kings 
Ferry,  125. 

Armstrong, .  General,  Washing- 
ton's letter  to,  46. 

Army,  French,  arrival  of,  105. 

Army,  movements  from  Boston, 
56;  marched  through  Philadel- 
phia, 124;  organization  of  the 
new  army,  1. 

Arnold,  Benedict,  given  a  com- 
mand for  Quebec,  136 ;  given 
command  of  West   Point,  114; 


reprimanded  by  Washington, 
14 ;  his  integrity  never  ques- 
tioned, 156. 

Arnold,  Mrs.  Benedict,  Washing- 
ton breakfasts  with,  141. 

Articles  of  capitulation,  York- 
town,  154. 

Asbury,  Bishop  Francis,  enter- 
tained at  Mount  Vernon,  78. 

Asgill,  Captain,  hostage  for  Cap- 
tain Huddy,  66 ;  arrives  in  Phila- 
delphia, 83;  released,  171. 

Asted,  British  vessel,  177. 

Austria,  Emperor  of,  72. 

Badges  of  distinction  to  be  re- 
moved, 119. 

Bache,  Mrs.  Sarah  Franklin,  8,  9. 

Baldwin's,  Colonel,  Artificers,  118. 

Ball  in  Fredericksburg,  General 
Washington  escorts  his  mother 
to  a,  167. 

Ball,  Joseph,  74. 

Baltimore,  Lord,  18. 

Banister,  John,  delegate  in  Con- 
gress, 59. 

Banquet  Hall,  Mount  Vernon,  19. 

Baptism  of  George  Washington, 
22. 

Barney,  Captain,  first  accredited 
officer  of  the  U.  S.  Navy,  85. 

Barton,  Colonel  William,  of  Rhode 
Island,  132. 

Beaumarchais,  2. 

"Beefsteak  and  Tripe"  Club,  168. 

Belknap,  Rev.  Jeremy,  presented 
with  portrait  of  Washington, 
162. 

Belvoir,  residence  of  George  Wm. 
Fairfax,  9. 

Biddle,  Clement,  of  Philadelphia, 
179. 

Bingham,  Senato1  and  Mrs.,  54. 

Birthnight  Ball,  84. 

Blaine,  Ephraim,  Esq.,  115. 

Blankets,  distress  for,  189. 

Block  Houses  at  Saratoga,  95. 

"  Blues,  The,"  military  escort  at 
Washington's  funeral,  57. 

Blunt,  Captain  John,  the  old  salt, 
162. 

Boeuf,  Fort  Le,  Major  Washington 
starts  for,  160. 

Boston,  anniversary  of  the  massa- 
cre, 30;  Athenseum,  Washing- 
ton's library  at,  89;  evacuated 


by  the  British,  41 ;  poor  of,  fed 
by  Washington,  174 ;  Selectmen 
of,  37 ;  taken  formal  possession 
of,  42. 

Boucher,  Dr.  Jonathan,  preceptor 
of  Jacky  Custis,  83. 

Boudinot,  Elias,  49;  president  of 
Congress,  170. 

Boughton,  Captain  Nicholson,  re- 
ceives the  first  naval  commis- 
sion, 130. 

Bouquet,  Colonel,  approves  of 
Indian  dress,  104. 

Braddock,  General,  invites  Colon  el 
Washington  to  join  his  "  mili- 
tary family,"  40;  at  the  Con- 
gress of  Alexandria,  56;  death 
of,  103. 

Bradford,  William,  2. 

Brandywine,  the  Battle  of,  134. 

Bread  and  Butter  Ball,  24. 

Brehan,  Marchioness  de,  at  Mount 
Vernon,  162. 

Brest,  French  troops  blocked  up 
in,  127. 

Brigadier-Generals  under  Wash- 
ington, 91. 

Brinkerhoff,  Colonel  John,  149. 

Bristol,  Washington  received  with 
enthusiasm  at,  39. 

British,  destroy  buildings  in  Fair- 
field and  Norwalk,  102 ;  concen- 
trate troops  in  New  York,  161. 

Brooke,  Captain  Christopher,  god- 
father to  George  Washington, 
22. 

Buchan,  Earl  of,  applied  to  for 
thrifty  Scotchmen  to  come  to 
Mount  Vernon  as  farmers,  27; 
Washington  sends  plan  of  Wash- 
ington City  to,  62. 

Bunker  Hill,  63. 

Burgesses,  House  of,  60 ;  orders 
that  the  Potomac  be  made  navi- 
gable, 179. 

Burgoyne,  General,  regarding  ex- 
change of,  57. 

Burr,  Lieutenant-Colonel  Aaron, 
158. 

Cabinet,  first,  completed,  142. 
Cadwalader,  John,  of  Maryland, 

130. 
Calvert,  Benedict,  50. 
Calvert,     Eleanor,     daughter    of 

Benedict  Calvert,  Esq.,  18. 


200 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


Calvert,  George,  131. 

Cambridge,  officers  ordered  to  as- 
sist civil  authorities  in  protect- 
ing property  at,  44;  council  of 
war  at,  decides  to  march  upon 
the  enemy,  30. 

Campbell,  Lieutenant  -  General, 
133. 

Canada,  irruption  into,  14. 

Cape  Henry,  severe  storm  off,  140. 

Carey,  Robert,  merchant,  London, 
23. 

Carey,  Mathew,  publisher  of  "  The 
Museum,"  109. 

Carleton,  General  Sir  Guy,  66; 
sends  despatches  announcing 
general  peace,  53;  informs  Wash- 
ington of  peace  negotiations, 
118. 

Carlisle,  Washington  reviews 
troops  at,  150. 

Carrington,  Colonel  Edward,  55. 

Carrington,  Colonel  and  Mrs.,  of 
Virginia,  177. 

Carroll,  Charles,  6. 

Carroll,  Daniel,  of  Maryland,  13. 

Carroll,  John,  Archbishop,  is 
thanked  by  Washington  for 
work  among  the  Indians,  54. 

Cartel  for  the  exchange  of  pris- 
oners, 142. 

Carter,  Colonel  Charles,  183. 

Catawba  tribe  of  Indians,  178. 

Catharine,  Empress  of  Russia,  6. 

Catholic  Church,  contribution  to 
the  new,  176. 

Caughnawaga  Indians,  delegation 
of,  11,  12,  13. 

Census,  the  first,  act  of  Congress 
on  that  subject,  29. 

Ceres,  British  vessel,  177. 

Chamberlain,  Colonel,  mansion  of, 
30. 

Champlin,  Miss  Margaret,  36. 

Champs,  Sergeant-Major  John,  of 
Lee's  Legion,  155. 

Chaplains,  their  pay,  etc.,  20. 

Charleston,  evacuation  of,  12 ;  ca- 
pitulation of,  81. 

Chastellux,  Chevalier,  60 ;  receives 
letter  from  Washington  regard- 
ing marriage,  61 ;  at  Hasbrouck 
House,  158;  takes  leave  of  Wash- 
ington, 180. 

Chatterton  Hills,  or  White  Plains, 
Battle  of,  159. 

Chaudron,  Simon,  delivers  an 
address,  1. 

Christmas  at  Mount  Vernon,  189. 

Church,  Dr.  Benjamin,  member  of 
committee,  96  ;  first  traitor,  146 
to  be  closely  confined,  164. 

Cincinnati,  Society  of  the,  general 
meeting,  62. 

Clarke's  farm-house,  7. 

Claypoole,  David  C.,  editor  of 
''Daily  Advertiser,"  Philadel- 
phia, 138. 

Clinton,  Governor,  39. 

Clinton,  Sir  Henry,  evacuates 
Philadelphia,  90. 

Cobbett,  William,  alias  Peter  Por- 
cupine, 6. 


Cochran,  Dr.,  and  ladies  invited 
to  dinner,  121. 

Coit,  Captain,  blunders  upon  two 
vessels,  16. 

Commerce,  injuries  sustained  by, 
10. 

Commissary  Department,  3. 

Commissary-General  of  Prisoners, 
49. 

Commissary-General  of  Pur- 
chases, 115. 

Commissary  of  Hides,  172. 

Commissioners  of  Embarkation, 
86. 

Congress,  appoints  the  Superin- 
tendent of  Finance,  Secretary  of 
War,  and  Secretary  of  Marine, 
20 ;  appoints  day  of  fasting,  60 ; 
committee  of,  reports  arrange- 
ments for  the  inauguration,  62 ; 
first,  action  on  naval  affairs  by, 
147;  passes  resolutions  of  sor- 
row upon  the  death  of  Washing- 
ton, 188;  creates  the  Depart- 
ment of- State,  110. 

Congress,  Colonial,  proclaims  war 
against  Great  Britain,  100. 

Congress  of  Massachusetts  Bay 
provides  for  the  reception  of 
Washington,  94. 

Connecticut  adopts  the  Constitu- 
tion, 5. 

Constitution  adopted  and  the  con- 
vention adjourns,  137 ;  not  free 
from  errors,  150. 

Continental  army  for  the  first  time 
in  full  uniform,  136. 

Conway  Cabal,  16. 

Conway's,  Gen.  letter  to  Gates,  165. 

Cooke,  Nicholas,  Governor  of 
Rhode  Island,  51,  159. 

Copley,  John  Singleton,  35. 

Cornwallis,  Lord,  arrives  from 
England,  112 ;  the  surgeon  sent 
by,  8 ;  Congress  prohibits  his  ex- 
change by  composition,  27 ;  ex- 
changed, 113 ;  receives  "  his  first 
salutation,"  149;  proposed  ces- 
sation of  hostilities  at  Yorktown, 
152 ;  dines  with  Washington,  158. 

Coryell's  Ferry,  112. 

Court  of  St.  James,  88. 

Coxe,  Rev.  Thomas,  entertained 
at  Mount  Vernon,  78. 

Craigie  House,  at  the,  4. 

Craik,  Doctor,  friend  and  physi- 
cian of  Washington,  184. 

Cumberland,  militia  reviewed  at, 
152. 

Cunningham,  Anna  Parmela,    '•». 

Currency,  depreciation  of,  168. 

Custine,  Count  de,  presents  Mrs. 
Washington  with.  French  china, 
106. 

Custis,  George  Washington  Parke, 
37. 

Custis,  John  Parke,  marriage  of, 
18 ;  dies  at  Eltham,  163. 

Custis,  Martha  Parke  (afterward 
Mrs.  Thomas  Peter),  18 ;  alarm- 
ingly ill,  82 ;  dies  at  Mount  Ver- 
non, 90. 

Custis,  Nellie  Parke,  9,  12. 


Dana,  Francis,  6. 

Dandridge,  Betsey,  22. 

Dance,  the,  known  as  "A  Suc- 
cessful Campaign,"  36. 

Darragh,  Lydia,  179. 

Davies,  Rev.  Samuel,  121. 

Davis,  Rev.  Thomas,  of  Christ 
Church,  Alexandria,  171;  offi- 
ciates at  Washington's  funeral, 
186. 

Deane,  Silas,  131. 

Deane,  Simeon,  65. 

Deer  paddock,  36. 

Definitive  Treaty  of  Peace  cele- 
brated, 160. 

De  Lancey,  Governor,  of  New 
York,  at  the  Congress  of  Alex- 
andria, 56. 

Delaware  adopts  the  Federal  Con- 
stitution, 170. 

Delaware  River,  defenses  of,  exam- 
ined by  Washington,  112. 

Department  buildings,  why  lo- 
cated at  a  distance  from  the 
Capitol,  46. 

Department  of  State,  Archives  of, 
85. 

Department  of  War  and  Navy 
created,  116. 

D'Estaing,  Count,  French  fleet 
under,  66 ;  welcome  of,  104. 

Dick,  Doctor  Elisha,  friend  and 
physician  of  Washington,  184, 
185. 

Dickenson,  General  Philemon,  115. 

Dickinson,  John,  President  of 
Pennsylvania,  181. 

Digby,  Admiral,  103. 

Dinwiddie,  Governor,  7,  9,  14,  58, 
60;  commissions  Washington  as 
lieutenant-colonel,  48;  at  the 
Congress  of  Alexandria,  56. 

Divine  service  held  at  New  Wind- 
sor in  New  Building,  25. 

Dobbs  Ferry  to  be  fortified,  118. 

Dorchester  Heights  taken  posses- 
sion of,  35. 

Dreer,  Frederick,  Jr.,  12. 

Dryburgh  Abbey,  65. 

Duane,  Mayor  James,  45. 

Duch£,  Rev.  Jacob,  offers  the  first 
prayer  in  the  General  Congress, 
132  ;  letter  to  General  Washing- 
ton, 152. 

Dudley's,  Dorothy,  quaint  rec- 
ord, 4 . 

Dumas,  Count,  12. 

Dunlap's,  William,  play  of  "The 
Poor  Soldier,"  4. 

Dunmore,  Governor,  dissolves  the 
House  of  Burgesses,  77. 

Duplessis,  Major,  at  Mount  Ver- 
non, 119. 

Duportail,  Colonel,  145. 

Dupre\  Artist,  63. 

Duquesne,  Fort,  name  changed  to 
Fort  Pitt,  173. 

Dutch  Reformed  Church,  Raritan, 
N.  J.,  82. 

Duvivier,  Artist,  45. 

Electoral  College,  11. 
Eliot,  Dr.  Andrew,  47. 


GENEKAL  INDEX. 


201 


Ellison,  William,  92. 

Erie  Canal  predicted,  150. 

Ettwein,  John,  Moravian  clergy- 
man, 66. 

Evacuation,  of  the  forts  of  the  Del- 
aware, 169  ;  of  Ticonderoga  and 
Portlndependence,  102 ;  of  York- 
town,  154. 

Everett,  Edward,  33. 

Executive  Mansion,  corner-stone 
of,  laid,  151. 

Exeter,  jealousy  between,  and 
Portsmouth,  164. 

Fairfax,  George  William,  in  Lon- 
don, a  lifelong  friend  of  Wash- 
ington, 102. 

Fairfax,  Hon.  William,  60. 

Fairfax,  Lord  Thomas,  68. 

"Fair,  to  gratify  the  wishes  of 
the,"  172. 

Falmouth,  destruction  of,  157. 

Faneuil  Hall,  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence read  in  front  of,  105. 

Fauntleroy,  Miss  Betsy,  the  Low- 
land Beauty,  75. 

Fauquier,  Francis,  Governor  of 
Virginia,  89. 

Federal  Hall,  64. 

Federalist,  a  miniature  ship,  85. 

Federal  Territory,  18,  186;  Com- 
missioners appointed,  13. 

Fenner,  Governor  of  Rhode  Island 
and  Providence  Plantation,  83. 

Ferguson,  Mrs.  Hugh,  of  Graham 
Park,  152. 

Ferry,  Cory  ells,  army  crosses  at,  91. 

Fire  ship,  112. 

First  Congress,  meeting  of,  52. 

Fitch,  John,  54. 

"  Flag  of  the  United  Colonies,"  1 ; 
raised  at  New  York,  101. 

Flag  of  the  United  States  estab- 
lished, 88. 

Flatfoot,  Sarah,  18. 

Fleet,  French,  expected,  73. 

Fleet,  General  Howe's,  arrives  at 
New  York,  102. 

Fleury,  Count  de,  2. 

Flushing,  Long  Island,  150. 

Flying  Camp,  establishment  of, 
82, 108. 

Folsom,  Nathaniel,  6. 

Forbes,  General,  ill  in  Philadel- 
phia, 169. 

Foreign  complications,  44. 

Fort  Le  Boeuf,  4,  9,  56. 

Fountain  Inn,  Baltimore,  133. 

France,  the  colors  of,  3. 

France,  Dauphin  of,  79. 

Franklin,  Benjamin,  in  Paris,  9 ; 
colonial  deputy  postmaster,  140. 

Fraunce,  Samuel,  132. 

Fredericksburg,  Colonel  Washing- 
ton appeals  to  merchants  of,  for 
aid,  60. 

Freeholders  of  Fairfax  County, 
106. 

French  Alliance,  banquet  in  cele- 
bration of,  10;  celebration  of 
anniversary  of,  20. 

French  arms  arrive  at  Philadel- 
phia, 47. 


French  army  marches  through 
Philadelphia,  and  is  reviewed  at 
the  State  House,  130. 

French  frigate  tolls  her  bell  oppo- 
site Mount  Vernon,  185. 

French,  Major  Christopher,  157. 

French  prisoners  at  Winchester, 
84. 

French  Speech-belt,  174. 

Friendship's  Company,  Alexan- 
dria, Va.,  91. 

Frigate  La  Sensible,  65. 

Frontier,  distress  on,  127. 

Fry,  Colonel,  expedition  to  the 
Ohio,  48;  at  Winchester,  70; 
death  of,  80. 

Furloughs,  Washington  opposed 
to,  106. 

Gage,  General,  remonstrated  with, 
119;  his  cruelty  to  prisoners, 
123. 

Gansevoort,  General,  95. 

Gates,  Major-General,  ordered  to 
rejoin  army,  147. 

General  Assembly  of  Massachu- 
setts Bay,  47. 

General  Treaty  of  Peace  signed  at 
Paris,  Jan.  20,  48. 

Genet,  French  minister,  179. 

Georgetown,  South  Carolina,  63. 

Georgia,  State  of,  recovered  from 
the  enemy,  122  ;  adopts  the  Con- 
stitution, 2. 

Gerard,  the  first  French  minister, 
135 ;  at  Middlebrook,  66. 

Germantown,  Battle  of,  147. 

Gibbs,  Caleb,  71. 

Gill,  Moses,  96. 

Graham,  Mrs.  Catharine  Macau- 
lay,  5. 

Grasse,  Admiral  Count  de,  73. 

Gravesend  Bay,  British  land  at, 
124. 

Greene,  Major-General,  given  com- 
mand of  Southern  army,  156. 

Gregorian  Calendar,  22. 

Gregory,  Mrs.  Mildred,  godmother 
to  George  Washington,  22. 

Greyhound  at  Dobbs  Ferry,  69. 

Griffin,  Samuel,  president  of  Wil- 
liam and  Mary  College,  27. 

Gulager,  Christian,  makes  portrait 
of  Washington,  162. 

Guy  Fawkes'  Day,  soldiers  re- 
buked, 163. 

Habersham,  Joseph,  of  Georgia, 
Postmaster-General,  29. 

Haldimand,  protest  to,  128. 

Hale,  Captain  Nathan,  goes  on  his 
fatal  mission  to  Long  Island,  136 ; 
executed  as  a  spy,  140. 

"  Hail  Columbia  "  —  the  Presi- 
dent's march  played  at  theater, 
173. 

Hamilton,  Alexander,  appointed 
aide-de-camp  to  Washington,  33; 
appointed  Secretary  of  the  Trea- 
sury, 134 ;  named  for  major-gen- 
eral in  the  Provisional  army,  103. 

Hamilton,  Governor  Henry,'  116. 

Hancock,  John,  at  Baltimore,  3; 


instructs  Washington  "not  to 
hesitate  to  fire  "  upon  his  house 
in  Boston,  38 ;  Washington  sends 
regrets  to,  41 ;  as  President  of 
Congress,  informs  Washington 
of  his  nomination,  89 ;  Governor 
of  Massachusetts,  158. 

Hand,  General,  an  escort  at  Phil- 
adelphia, 181. 

Haney,  Mrs.,  Washington's  in- 
structions in  regard  to  giving 
assistance  to,  26. 

Hannah,  Schooner,  130. 

Hanson,  John,  president  of  Con- 
gress, welcomes  Washington, 
175. 

Harlem  Heights,  the  Battle  of, 
137. 

Harper's  Ferry  suggested  by 
Washington  as  a  location  for  an 
arsenal,  137. 

Harris  Mansion,  the  old,  147. 

Harrison,  Benjamin,  3,  10,  37,  67. 

Harrison,  Richard,  nominated 
first  auditor,  169. 

Harvard  College  thanks  artist  for 
portrait  of  Washington,  128. 

Harvie,  John,  6. 

Haviland's,  Mrs.,  house  in  Rye, 
President  Washington  at,  152. 

Head  of  Elk,  British  land  at,  126. 

Heath,  Major-General,  6,  66. 

Heintz,  Chevalier  Juan  de,  121. 

Henry,  Patrick,  receives  letter 
from  Washington  regarding  re- 
cruits, 55 ;  opinion  of  the  Gen- 
eral Congress,  128  ;  one  of  a  no- 
table trio,  131. 

Hickey,  Thomas,  executed  for 
mutiny,  95. 

Highland  forts  visited  in  boats  by 
the  General,  166. 

Hippopotamus,  Mr.  Donaldson 
thanked  for  model  of,  153. 

Hollingshead,  Mr.,  of  Maryland, 
152. 

Hopkins,  Captain,  53. 

Hopkinson,  Francis,  author  of 
"Hail  Columbia,"  73. 

Houdon,  Jean  Antoine,  arrives  at 
Mount  Vernon,  148  ;  present  at 
a  wedding  at  Mount  Vernon,  152. 

House  of  Burgesses,  resolution  of, 
81. 

Howard,  Colonel  John  Eager,  24. 

Howe,  Captain  Bazaleel,  given 
care  of  Washington's  baggage 
for  Mount  Vernon,  165. 

Howe,  General  Lord,  hearing  the 
tremendous  shouting,  1;  near 
Middlebrook,  94;  requests  that 
American  surgeons  be  sent  to 
care  for  their  wounded,  135. 

Howe,  Robert,  Major-General, 
thanked  by  Commander-in-chief, 
16. 

Hubbardton,  disastrous  engage- 
ment of,  102. 

Huddy,  Captain  Joshua,  66. 

Humphreys,  Colonel  David,  5,  45. 

Huntington,  Governor,  17. 

Huntington,  Lady,  letter  about 
Indians,  21. 


202 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


Huntington,  Jedediah,  Esq.,  at  the 
house  of  Washington,  confers 
with  Governor  Trumhull,  53. 

Independent  Companies,  Fairfax 

County,  Va.,  91. 
Indian  outbreak  curtails  Western 

tour  of  Washington,  164. 
Indian  warfare,  training  the  army 

for,  143. 
Iron  Hill,  132. 
Irvine,   General,  the  gallant,   5; 

wounded  and  made  prisoner,  179. 

Jackson,  Major,  5. 

James  River  Company,  3. 

Jamison,  Lieutenant-Colonel,  140. 

Jay,  Hon.  John,  45. 

Jefferson,  Thomas,   Secretary  of 

State,  2,  45. 
Johnson,  Thomas,   of  Maryland, 

13. 
Journal  of  Military  Transactions, 

65. 
"Journal    of     Survey,"    extract 

from,  44. 
"Journal  to  the  Ohio,"  9. 
Jumonville,    Captain,    killed     at 

Great  Meadows,  79. 

Kalb,  Baron  de,  grave  of,  77. 

Kennon,  Mrs.  Beverly,  18. 

Kentucky  admitted  into  the 
Union,  81. 

Keppel,  Captain,  at  the  Congress 
of  Alexandria,  56. 

Key  of  the  Bastile,  80 ;  Washing- 
ton thanks  Lafayette  for,  118. 

King  George,  speech  at  the  open- 
ing of  Parliament,  26. 

King,  Rufus,  nominated  minister 
to  England,  74. 

Kings  Chapel  musical  festival, 
158. 

King's  Mountain,  63. 

KirMand,  Rev.  Samuel,  Oneida 
missionary,  47, 146. 

Knox,  Henry,  Colonel,  regiment 
of  artillery,  20 ;  writes  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  ball  given  at  Plucka- 
min,  31 ;  chosen  secretary  of  the 
Society  of  the  Cincinnati,  90 ; 
first  cabinet  officer  nominated, 
116 ;  Secretary  of  War  and  Navy, 
134 ;  made  colonel  of  artillery, 
169. 

Knyphausen,  General,  188. 

Kosciusko,  Thaddeus,  placed  in 
charge  at  West  Point,  40;  ap- 
pointed "Engineer  of  Conti- 
nental Service,"  154 ;  not  able  to 
visit  Mount  Vernon,  157. 

"  Ladies'  Mount  Vernon  Associa- 
tion of  the  Union,"  12,  33. 

Lafayette,  George  Washington  de, 
37,  51. 

Lafayette,  Marchioness  de,  letter 
of  sympathy  to,  16,  51. 

Lafayette,  Marquis  de,  6, 12 ;  sends 
despatches  announcing  peace, 
46 ;  letter  from  Washington  ex- 
pressing fears  for  the  action  of 


the  republic,  51 ;  arrives  at  Mor- 
ristown,  69 ;  commissioned  ma- 
jor-general in  the  Continental 
army,  112  ;  opinion  of  Continen- 
tal soldiers,  118 ;  wounded  at  the 
Battle  of  Brandywine,  134 ;  pres- 
ent first  time  at  council,  124. 

Lafayette  and  Washington  to- 
gether for  the  last  time,  175. 

Lancaster,  clothing  impressed  in 
the  county  of,  142. 

Langdon,  John,  president  of  Con- 
gress, 56. 

Lansdowne,  Marquis  of,  54. 

Laurens,  Colonel  John,  53,  78. 

Laurens,  Hon.  Henry,  Washing- 
ton the  guest  of,  18;  Congress 
agrees  to  his  conditional  ex- 
change, 28;  prisoner  in  the 
Tower  of  London,  57. 

Lauzun,  Due  de,  of  the  "Lauzun 
Legion,"  99. 

Laval,  Marquis  de,  a  guest  of 
Washington  at  New  Windsor, 
181.    . 

Lear,  Tobias,  45,  79,  184;  marries 
Fanny  Bassett  Washington,  124. 

Lee,  Attorney-General,  requested 
not  to  remain  absent,  168. 

Lee,  Charles,  of  Virginia,  Attorney- 
General,  181. 

Lee,  General  Charles,  arrives  at 
Valley  Forge,  59  ;  takes  the  oath 
of  allegiance,  85 ;  placed  under 
arrest,  96;  captured  near  Veal- 
town,  N.  J.,  183. 

Lee,  Henry,  his  hunting-dogs,  24 ; 
entertains  Washington,  55;  se- 
lected to  pronounce  the  eulogy 
on  Washington,  188. 

Lee,  Ludwell,  11. 

L'Enfant,  Major,  15, 48;  dismissed 
for  refusal  to  obey  orders,  30. 

Leonard,  Rev.  Abiel,  appointed 
chaplain,  20  ;  preaches  upon  the 
evacuation  of  Boston,  41. 

Leslie,  Colonel,  a  British  officer 
who  f ell  at  Trenton,  3. 

Lewis,  Colonel  Lawrence,  11 ;  mar- 
ries Eleanor  Parke  Custis  at 
Mount  Vernon,  28. 

Lewis,  John  Delaware,  M.  P.,  54. 

Lewis,  Major  Howell,  7. 

Lewis,  Mrs.  Fielding,  from  Ken- 
more,  84. 

Lewis,  Mrs.  Lorenzo,  12. 

Lewis,  Robert,  nephew  of  Wash- 
ington, 46. 

Lexington,  Washington  visits 
field  of,  164. 

Liberty  Hall,  79. 

Library,  Lenox,  New  York,  138. 

Light  Horse  City  Troop  of  Phila- 
delphia, 92. 

Light  House  at  the  Hook,  50. 

Lincoln,  General,  given  command, 
127. 

Linderman,  Henry  R.,  director  of 
the  mint,  63. 

Liquor  to  be  supplied  to  the  In- 
dians, 114. 

Liston,  Robert,  British  minister, 
108. 


Livingston,  Robert  R.,  5;  Chan- 
cellor, 64;  mansion  of,  127. 

Livingston,  Van  Brugh,  mansion, 
Dobbs  Ferry,  68. 

"  Lodge  of  Sorrow,"  1. 

Loggs  Town,  Major  Washington 
arrives  at,  173. 

Long  Island,  Battle  of,  126. 

London,  Lords  of  the  Board  of 
Trade  of,  9. 

Louis  XVI.,  a  salute  of  sixteen 
guns  fired  in  compliment  to,  26; 
letter  to  the  President  from, 
35. 

Loveil,  James,  16. 

Lowth,  Robert,  Bishop  of  London, 
27. 

Ludwig,  Christopher  Baker,  Gen- 
eral, 61,  62 ;  stanch  patriot,  117. 

Luzerne,  Marquis  de  la,  Wash- 
ington writes  from  Morristown 
to,  19 ;  introduces  de  Moustier  to 
Washington,  20;  receives  diplo- 
matic medal,  63 ;  gives  a  fete  on 
the  Dauphin's  birthday,  105 ; 
entertains  Washington  at  Fish- 
kill,  141. 

Mabie's  Tavern,  Andre"  imprisoned 
in,  142. 

MacCubbin,  Mrs.  James,  188. 

Mackenzie,  Captain,  149. 

Maclay,  Senator  William,  70,  147. 

Madison,  James,  Washington 
writes  to,  34. 

Major-Gen  erals,  five,  appointed 
(Stirling,  Mifflin,  St.  Clair,  Ste- 
phens, and  Lincoln),  26. 

Manly,  Captain,  182 ;  as  Commo- 
dore, is  instructed  to  "  dog"  the 
British  fleet  leaving  Boston,  38. 

Marblehead,  widows  of,  160. 

Marion,  General,  88. 

Markoe,  Captain,  of  Philadelphia, 
92. 

Marshal  of  France,  Washington 
received  with  honors  of  a,  36. 

Maryland,  adopts  the  Constitu- 
tion, 63  ;  assembly  of,  188. 

Mason,  Colonel  George,  3,  46. 

Mason,  Major  George  Washington 
becomes  a,  163. 

Masonic  festivals,  190. 

Masons  of  Alexandria  apply  for 
charter,  172. 

Massachusetts  fits  out  first  vessels, 
166 ;  State  of,  ratifies  the  Consti- 
tution, 20. 

McCurdy,  John,  54. 

McDougal,  General,  chosen  trea- 
surer of  the  Society  of  the  Cin- 
cinnati, 63,  90. 

McHenry,  James,  Secretary  of 
War,  14,  39,  100,  103. 

McKay,  Captain,  54. 

McKean,  Thomas,  president  of 
Congress,  128, 130  ;  Chief  Justice 
of  Delaware,  28. 

McKonkeys  Ferry,  189. 

Medals,  Washington  arranges  with 
Secretary  of  State  regarding, 
for  retiring  members  of  diplo- 
matic corps,  63. 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


203 


Medal  voted  Washington  by  Con- 
gress, 45. 

Mercer,  Captain,  accompanies  Col- 
onel Washington  to  Boston, 
19. 

Mercer,  General  Hugh,  funeral  of, 
7,  8. 

Mercer,  Governor  John  Francis,, 
of  Maryland,  133. 

Mesmer,  Dr.,  of  Paris,  173. 

Middlebrook,    General    Washing- 
ton writes  to  Lafayette  an  en- 
couraging account  of  the  condi- . 
tion  of  the  army  at,  37. 

Mifflin,  Colonel,  13. 

Military  Dictator,  Washington 
made,  second  time,  137. 

Mint  of  the  United  States,  170. 

"  Mississippi  Adventure,"  97. 

Mississippi,  mouth  of  the,  90. 

Monmouth  Court  House,  Battle 
of,  95;  vote  of  thanks  for  vic- 
tory at,  100. 

Monongahela,  Battle  of,  101. 

Montgomery,  General  James,  10, 
45. 

Monument,  National,  Washing- 
ton, 99. 

Moore  Hall,  6. 

Moravian  Church,  Salem,  N.  C, 
81. 

Morgan,  Daniel,  colonel  of  the 
Virginia  Rangers,  87;  victory 
at  Cowpens  over  Colonel  Tarle- 
ton,  25. 

Morris,  Captain  Roger,  106 ;  house, 
169. 

Morris,  Gouverneur,  6 ;  at  the  Con- 
gress of  Alexandria,  56. 

Morris,  Robert,  Superintendent  of 
Finance,  126 ;  entertains  Wash- 
ington at  dinner,  83,  128,  189; 
nominates  Washington  presi- 
dent of  the  Constitutional  Con- 
vention, 77. 

Morristown,  **  hutting"  completed 
at,  24;  Washington  entertains 
Marquis  de  la  Luzerne  and  Don 
Juan  Murilles,  59  ;  camp  buried 
in  severe  snow-storm,  2 ;  officers 
opened  an  assembly  in  camp  at, 
31. 

Mossum,  Rev.  Dr.,  of  St. Peter's,  4. 

Moultrie,  General  William,  117. 

Mount  Vernon,  entertainments  at, 
134;  foreign  ministers  at,  87; 
meat-house  robbed,  84 ;  original 
patent  of,  33. 

Moustier,  Count  de,  succeeds  Lu- 
zerne as  minister,  20 ;  his  and 
Madame  de  Brehan's  departure, 
152 ;  receives  diplomatic  medal, 
63. 

Moylan,  Quartermaster,  182. 

Muir,  Rev.  James,  29. 

Murdering  Town,  190. 

Murilles,  Don  Juan,  ill  with  pul- 
monary fever  at  Morristown,  61 ; 
dies  at  Washington's  headquar- 
ters at  Morristown,  64. 

Mutiny,  among  the  New  Jersey 
troops,  16 ;  in  the  Pennsylvania 
line,  6. 


Nancy,  brigantine,  captured,  176. 

Nantes,  nuns  of,  50. 

Nash,  General  Francis,  149. 

National  Military  Academy,  183. 

National  thanksgiving,  6. 

National  University,  Washing- 
ton's interest  in,  15. 

Navarro,  Don  Diego,  Governor  of 
Cuba,  64. 

Navy  of  United  Colonies,  160. 

Negroes  enlisted  at  Cambridge, 
192. 

Nelson,  Governor  Thomas,  of  Vir- 
ginia, 40. 

Newark,  army  in,  172. 

"Newburg  Addresses,"  the  fa- 
mous, 38. 

Newburyport,  President  Wash- 
ington received  at,  160. 

New  Hampshire  adopts  the  Con- 
stitution, 91. 

New  Haven,  President  Washing- 
ton received  at,  152. 

New  Jersey  ratifies  the  Federal 
Constitution,  186. 

New  Levies  sent  by  Governor 
Trumbull,  115. 

Newport,  protected  "without  the 
firing  of  a  gun,"  113  ;  the  Presi- 
dent's voyage  to,  119,  121. 

New  Rochelle,  94. 

New  York,  evacuation  of,  deter- 
mined upon,  135;  adopts  the 
Federal  Constitution,  110. 

Nicola,  Colonel  Lewis,  rebuked  by 
Washington,  76. 

Nook's  Hill,  37,  41. 

North  Carolina  ratifies  the  Con- 
stitution, 171. 

North,  Lord,  "  Conciliatory  Bill," 
57. 

North  River,  position  on,  159. 

Nor  walk  and  Fairfield,  principal 
export  from,  153. 

Nova  Scotia  to  Georgia,  delegates 
from,  89. 

Officers,  give  a  ball  to  Washington 
at  Middlebrook,  42 ;  rank  distin- 
guished by  color  of  ribbon,  104 ; 
utilizing  the  labor  of  f  urloughed 
soldiers,  117. 

Old  Brick  Meeting  House,  47. 

Oriskany,  63,  (Fort  Stanwix)  115. 

Orme,  Captain  Robert,  40. 

Paine,  Thomas,  author  of  "  Com- 
mon Sense,"  80,  87,  134  ;  Wash- 
ington's opinion  of,  16. 

Paramus,  army  arrives  at,  148. 

Parker's  Ford,  army  crosses  at, 
139. 

Parks,  Andrew,  52. 

Parsons,  General,  given  orders  in 
regard  to  the  Tories,  27. 

Passamaquoddy  chiefs,  189. 

Paulding,  John,  140. 

Paulus  Hook,  surprise  and  capture 
of,  124,  179. 

Peter,  Thomas,  Esq.,  at  Tudor 
Place,  18. 

"  Peace,  it  is  high  time  for  a,''  146. 

Peale,  Captain  Charles  Willson,  10. 


Pendleton,  Edmund,  13,  67. 

Pennsylvania  Council  of  Safety, 
183. 

Pennsylvania  ratifies  the  Federal 
Constitution,  183. 

Pennsylvania  troops  in  mutiny, 
117. 

Pennybackers  Mills,  encampment 
at,  148. 

Philadelphia,  attack  on,  proposed, 
173 ;  Troop  of  Horse,  181. 

Philipse,  Mary  (afterward  Mrs. 
Roger  Morris),  29. 

Pickering,  Quartermaster-General 
Colonel,  13. 

Pickering,  Timothy,  Secretary  of 
State,  181 ;  Secretary  of  War,  29. 

Pidgeon  Hill,  Yorktown,  144. 

Pike,  Nicholas,  his  system  of  arith- 
metic, 91. 

Pinckney,  Charles  Cotesworth,  77 ; 
offered  portfolio  of  state,  125. 

Pinckney,  Thomas,  74. 

Pine,  Robert  Edge,  artist,  65. 

Piper,  Mr.,  dined  at  Mount  Vernon, 
22. 

"Pitcher,  Captain  Mollie,"  95. 

Pitt,  William,  first  Earl  of  Chat- 
ham, 173. 

"Plow,  Duck  Bill,"  36. 

Plowed  Hill  taken  possession  of, 
126. 

Poelnitz,  Baron  de,  11. 

Political  suicide,  142. 

Poor,  Brigadier-General  Enoch, 
buried  at  Hackensack,  134. 

Portsmouth,  barge  excursion  down 
the  harbor  of,  161;  officers  of 
British  government  seized  at, 
167. 

Posey,  Captain,  survey  of  his  wood- 
land, 36. 

Potomac  Company,  3. 

Powder,  great  scarcity  of,  114. 

Powel,  Mr.  Samuel,  of  Philadel- 
phia, 9. 

Price,  Captain,  178. 

Princeton,  Battle  of,  2. 

Prisoners,  leave  Yorktown,  155; 
removed  from  Lancaster  and 
York,  123. 

Proclamation,  first  national 
thanksgiving,146;  of  neutrality, 
60 ;  on  Whisky  Rebellion,  118. 

Providence,  dinner  in  Town  Hall, 
122. 

Provincial  Congress  of  New  York, 
93. 

Provoost,  Bishop  Samuel,  45,  64. 

Putnam,  Major-General,  in  com- 
mand at  New  York,  75 ;  eulo- 
gized by  Washington,  83. 

Quaker  Hill,  headquarters  at,  125. 

Quaker  ladies  (Mrs.  Jones,  Mrs. 
Drinker,  Mrs.  Pleasants)  at  Val- 
ley Forge,  52. 

Quakers,  a  delegation  of  the  people 
called,  151;  General  Lacey  is 
instructed  to  prevent  them  from 
attending  "Yearly  Meeting"  in 
Philadelphia,  43. 

Quebec,  City  of,  10. 


204 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


Radiere,  Colonel,  relieved  at  West 
Point,  40. 

Eammage,  miniature  by,  146. 

Ramsay,  William,  friend  and  dis- 
tant relative  of  Washington,  15. 

Randolph,  Edmund,  2,  131 ;  Secre- 
tary of  State,  181 ;  resigns  office, 
122. 

Randolph,  Governor  Beverly,  7. 

Rawdon,  Lord,  88. 

Reed,  Joseph,  6. 

Reed,  Mrs.  Esther,  sends  soldiers 
hard  money,  117. 

Rhode  Island  adopts  the  Federal 
Constitution,  79. 

Richmond,  Washington  arrives  at, 
169. 

Robertson,  Archibald,  artist,  65. 

Robinson,  Beverly,  93;  entertains 
Colonel  Washington  several 
days,  29. 

Robinson,  Speaker  John,  3. 

Rochambeau,  Count  de,  celebrates 
the  birthday  of  Washington  at 
Newport,  23 ;  receives  the  thanks 
of  Washington  for  celebrating 
his  birthday,  29 ;  gives  a  ball  at 
Newport  in  honor  of  Washing- 
ton, 36  ;  at  Wethersfleld,  Conn., 
73 ;  leaves  for  France,  184 ;  re- 
turns from  Versailles,  73. 

Rock  Hall,  45. 

Rocky  Hill,  General  and  Mrs. 
Washington  reach,  125. 

Roosevelt,  Mrs.,  funeral  of,  168. 

Rosebery,  Lord,  54. 

Ross,  John,  of  Chester  County,  89. 

Rumsey's  model  of  a  boat,  40 ;  the 
boat  in  motion,  54. 

Rutledge,  Edmund,  77. 

Rutledge,  John,  77. 

Sabbath  day  not  traveled  on  in 
Connecticut,  165. 

Salaries,  Washington  writes  Dr. 
Stuart  concerning,  34. 

Saratoga  Springs,  Washington 
anxious  to  purchase,  119. 

Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  96. 

Schuyler,  General,  in  command  at 
New  York,  55,  93. 

Secret  Committee  of  New  York, 
103. 

Selectmen  of  Boston  thank  Wash- 
ington for  delivery  of  their  city, 
51. 

Seneca  Nation,  chiefs  of  the,  10, 
191. 

Sharp,  Governor,  of  Maryland,  at 
the  Congress  of  Alexandria,  56. 

Shaw,  Captain  Nathaniel,  53. 

Shenandoah  Valley,  extracts  from 
journal  in  the,  50,  55. 

Shirley,  Governor,  7, 19 ;  approves 
of  Colonel  Washington's  posi- 
tion, 35 ;  at  the  Congress  of 
Alexandria,  56. 

Simitiere,  Pierre  Eugene  du,  ar- 
tist, 17. 

Simms,  Charles  Little,  11. 

Skene,  Governor,  exchanged,  16. 

Smallpox  in  Washington's  quar- 
ters at  Frederick,  62. 


Society  of  the  Cincinnati,  71 ;  in 
Massachusetts,  159. 

Solomon,  Captain  Hendricks,  a 
Stockbridge  chief,  135. 

South  Carolina  adopts  the  Con- 
stitution, 76. 

Southern  Tour,  52. 

Spottswood,  Alexander,  23. 

"  Spurious  Letters,"  7,  34. 

Squares  in  Federal  City,  169. 

Stanwix,  Colonel,  87. 

State,  Department  of,  3. 

State  House,  Philadelphia,  dinner 
at,  141. 

Staten  Island,  British  troops  land 
at,  95  ;  British  forces  massed  at, 
116. 

Statue,  equestrian,  of  Washing- 
ton, 116 ;  of  George  III.,  destruc- 
tion of,  102. 

St.  Clair,  General,  defeat  of,  163; 
an  escort  at  Philadelphia,  181. 

St.  John  the  Baptist,  feast  of,  93. 

"  St.  Patrick"  the  countersign 
given  •  in  honor  of  the  Tutelar 
Saint  of  Hibernia,"  41. 

St.  Paul's  Church,  64. 

St.  Pierre,  Chevalier  Legardeur  de, 
in  command  at  Fort  leBceuf ,  182. 

Steuben,  Baron,  arrives  at  Valley 
Forge,  25  ;  inspector-general, 
47, 67 ;  directs  parade  at  Morris- 
town,  61;  officially  thanked  by 
the  Commander-in-chief,  90. 

Stirling,  Lord  (William  Alexan- 
der), 11. 

Stockton,  Mrs.  Richard,  108. 

Stophorst,  Nicholas  Van,  16. 

Stuart,  David,  of  Virginia,  13. 

Stuart,  Mrs.  David,  9. 

Stuart,  Gilbert,  appointment  for 
a  sitting,  54. 

Stuart,  Hon.  Henry  Murray,  108. 

Sullivan,  General  John,  officer  of 
the  day,  9, 41;  charges  preferred 
against  him  by  Congress,  137 ; 
president  of  New  Hampshire, 
161. 

Sumter,  General,  88. 

Swearing,  Washington's  opinion 
of,  114. 

Taft,  Polly  and  Patsy,  165. 

Tallmadge,  Colonel,  has  custody 
of  Andr<§,  142. 

Tappan,  headquarters  at  De  Wint 
House,  117. 

Tavern,  Cape's,  177;  "Bunch  of 
Grapes,"  48;  City,  Philadelphia, 
Washington  entertained  at,  59, 
183, 185 ;  Fraunces',  179 ;  Liberty 
Pole  and  Flag,  16, 125 ;  Raleigh, 
78 ;  Ship,  lodged  at,  82  ;  Smith's, 
in  the  Clove,  86. 

Telfair,  Edmund,  Governor  of 
Georgia,  75. 

Tennessee  admitted  into  the 
Union,  50,  81. 

Ternay,  Chevalier  de,  105. 

Thacher,  Dr.  James,  leaves  pen- 
portraits  of  Washington,  29. 

Theater  party  at  Williamsburg, 
149. 


Theater,  Southwark,  Philadel- 
phia, 2,  4. 

"The  Daily  Sacrifice,"  177. 

"  The  irruption  into  Canada,"  39. 

The  order  of  the  Society  of  the 
Cincinnati  celebrate  "Washing- 
ton's birthday,  28. 

The  Provisional  army,  Washing- 
ton urged  to  accept  command  of, 
92. 

The  Tammany  Society,  or  The 
Columbian  Order,  28. 

The  True  American  Inn,  192. 

Thomas,  General  John,  urged  not 
to  resign,  108. 

Thompson,  Charles,  secretary  of 
Congress,  12;  delivers  letter  to 
Washington  announcing  his 
election  as  President  of  the 
United  States,  56  ;  colonel  of  the 
Virginia  Sharpshooters,  110 ;  at 
Letchmore's  Point,  166. 

Thornton,  Dr.  William,  45. 

Tilghman,  Colonel  Tench,  6. 

Tour  through  Eastern  States,  151. 

Treaty,  Jay's,  with  Great  Britain, 
111,  117. 

Trenches  before  Yorktown,  148. 

Trent,  Captain,  48. 

Trenton,  President-elect  reaches, 
59. 

Trenton  Works,  fishing  at,  115. 

Trinity  Church,  New  York,  45. 

Triomphe,  the  French  frigate,  48. 

Triplet,  William,  engaged  to  build 
two  houses  at  Mount  Vernon, 
46. 

Trumbull,  Colonel  Joseph,  ap- 
pointed commissary-general,112. 

Trumbull,  Governor  Jonathan, 
"Brother  Jonathan,"  13;  urged 
to  uniform  Connecticut  troops, 
13;  dined  with  Washington  at 
Mr.  Piatt's,  Hartford,  41. 

Trumbull,  Jonathan,  Jr.,  3. 

Trumbull,  John,  artist,  12  ;  in  Lon- 
don, 93 ;  engravings  of  pictures 
by,  171. 

Tryon,  Governor,  93. 

Tudor,  William,  first  Judge  Advo- 
cate, 112. 

Turnip  field  surveyed,  30. 

University  of  Pennsylvania,  43. 

Valley  Forge,  dissatisfaction  of  of- 
ficers with  the  dilatory  action  of 
Congress,  45 ;  General  Washing- 
ton gives  thanks  to  his  soldiers 
at,  33 ;  great  distress  at,  25 ;  head- 
quarters established  at,  189 ;  visit 
to,  6. 

Van  Braam,  Jacob,  Washington's 
Master  of  Fence,  129. 

Van  Wart,  Isaac,  140. 

Vaughn's,  General,  vandalism, 
161. 

Vaughn,  Samuel,  presents  marble 
mantel  to  Washington,  19. 

Vaughn,  Sr.,  Mr.,  visit  to,  170. 

Venango,  Washington  reaches, 
188. 

Vergennes,  Count  de,  171. 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


205 


Vermont  admitted  into  the  Fed- 
eral Union,  26. 

Verplanck's  Point,  second  anniver- 
sary of  the  meeting  of  Wash- 
ington and  Rochambeau  at,  139. 

Versailles,  court  of,  116. 

Veto  of  Apportionment  of  Repre- 
sentatives Bill,  51. 

Veto  of  the  Military  Bill,  31. 

Ville  de  Paris,  flag-ship  of  the 
French,  138. 

Virginia,  adopts  the  Federal  Con- 
stitution, 93 ;  Legislature  of,  re- 
solves to  erect  a  statue-  of 
Washington,  92. 

Virginia  troops  send  Colonel 
Washington  an  address,  192. 

Wadsworth,  Colonel  Peleg,  139. 

Wakefield,  Westmoreland  County, 
Virginia,  28. 

Walker,  Benjamin,  Esq.,  7. 

Wallace  box,  65. 

Wallingford,  Conn.,  President 
Washington  at,  154. 

Want  of  provisions  clogs  opera- 
tions, 150. 

Ward,  Colonel  James,  106. 

Ward,  General  Artemus,  51,  170. 

Warm  Springs,  Virginia,  122. 

Warren,  General,  45. 

Washington  Association  of  New 
Jersey,  12. 

Washington,  Augustine,  father  of 
George,  22  ;  dies,  55. 

Washington,  Charles,  marriage 
of,  144. 

Washington,  Fort,  grief  over  sur- 
render of,  170. 

Washington,  George,  appointed 
surveyor  of  Culpeper  County, 
Va.,  108 ;  record  of  birth  written 
by,  22 ;  first  visit  to  Greenway 
Court,  seat  of  Lord  Fairfax, 
39;  attends  the  wedding  of  his 
half-brother  Lawrence,  106 ;  ar- 
rives at  Barbados,  162;  sails 
for  Barbados,  138;  sails  from 
Carlisle  Bay,  Barbados,  188; 
writes  Colonel  Lawrence  Lewis 
regarding  license  of  marriage, 
12;  tries  drill  plowing  at 
Muddy  Hole,  53 ;  called  to  Fred- 
ericksburg by  illness  of  his  mo- 
ther and  sister,  62 ;  personal  care 
of  hisnegroes,  159 ;  nominated  by 
Thomas  Johnson  of  Maryland 
88 ;  made  first  LL.  D.  by  Har- 
vard College,  50;  confirmed  as 
Lieutenant-General  of  the  Pro- 
visional army,  98 ;  writes  to  his 
nephew  regarding  slavery,  121 ; 
comments  upon  the  personal 
attack  made  on  him,  6 ;  comments 
on  the  Stamp  Act,  139 ;  arrives 
at  New  York  from  Elizabeth- 
town,  60 ;  resigns  his  commis- 
sion, 188;  of  Virginia,  made 
General  and  Commander-in- 
chief  of  the  Provisional  army 
of  the  United  States,  34;  last 
will  and  testament  of,  11; 
signs  and  dates  his   will,  101; 


dies  at  Mount  Vernon,  184 ;  the 
body  of,  laid  in  the  family 
vault  at  Mount  Vernon,  186 ;  the 
obsequies  of,  28;  and  Martha, 
remains  removed,  148;  employed 
by  Lord  Fairfax,  38. 

Washington,  Major,  arrives  at 
Williamsburg,  9;  reaches  Fort 
le  Bceuf ,  182 ;  reaches  Wills 
Creek,  4 ;  receives  commission 
as  lieutenant-colonel,  48 ;  return- 
ing from  Bai-bados,  calls  upon 
Governor  Dinwiddie,  31 ;  takes 
leave  of  his  mother,  129. 

Washington,  Lieutenant-Colonel, 
at  Great  Meadows,  79 ;  at- 
tempts to  navigate  the  Youghi- 
ogany,  75  ;  at  Youghiogany,  74. 

Washington,  Colonel,  makes  ap- 
peal for  the  Virginia  troops,  14  ; 
sends  Captain  Orme  a  map  of  the 
back  country,  50 ;  offers  reward 
for  recovery  of  two  convict  ser- 
vants, 61 ;  approves  engagement 
of  John  Parke  Custis  to  Eleanor 
Calvert,  50  ;  present  at  the  open- 
ing of  the  General  Congress,  131 ; 
breakfasts  at  Wilmington  and 
dines  at  Chester,  131 ;  ill  at  Alex- 
andria, 165  ;  at  the  Congress  of 
Alexandria,  56 ;  at  Williams- 
burg, 67;  and  Dr.  Craik's  jour- 
ney to  the  Ohio,  148;  at  Win- 
chester to  divide  soldiers'  land, 
35 ;  description  of  Braddock,  68 ; 
appeals  to  Lord  Fairfax  for 
militia,  58 ;  and  Mrs.  Martha 
Dandridge  Custis,  married, 
4;  present  at  the  convening 
of  the  second  Continental  Con- 
gress, 70 ;  negro  quarters  struck 
by  lightning,  74 ;  at  Cumberland, 
Md.,  72  ;  writes  from  the  fron- 
tier to  Governor  Dinwiddie,  76 ; 
reaches  Wills  Creek,  80 ;  at 
Fort  Loudoun,  80  ;  returns 
from  his  second  visit  to  Mrs. 
Custis,  87;  starts  for  the  sec- 
ond Continental  Congress,  67; 
buys  his  engagement  ring,  67; 
accepts  the  command  of  the 
Virginia  troops,  85;  and  Mrs., 
receive  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John 
Parke  Custis  at  Mount  Vernon, 
33 ;  grafts  trees  at  Mount  Ver- 
non, 43  ;  in  Philadelphia  en  route 
to  Boston,  21 ;  chosen  vestry- 
man of  Christ  Church,  Alexan- 
dria, 47;  goes  fox-hunting,  23; 
and  Peter  ("my  Smith")  experi- 
ment in  making  a  plow,  42; 
chosen  a  member  of  second 
General  Congress,  43 ;  gives  or- 
ders to  his  tailor,  Old  Fish  Street, 
London,  62 ;  leaves  Mount  Ver- 
non to  join  Braddock  at  Fred- 
ericktown,  60  ;  resigns  com- 
mand of  Virginia  militia,  191; 
ill  with  fever  at  Mount  Vernon, 
104 ;  capitulates  Fort  Necessity, 
99 ;  starts  to  join  General  Brad- 
dock, 97 ;  issues  instructions  to 
captains  of   Provincial  troops, 


111 ;  arrives  at  Mount  Vernon 
from  the  Braddock  campaign, 
110 ;  hears  of  his  election  to  the 
House  of  Burgesses,  109;  and 
Mrs.,  attend  marriage  of  John 
Parke  Custis,  18 ;  letter  to 
Martha  Custis,  107 ;  meets  Mrs. 
Martha  Dandridge  Custis,  30; 
inquires  about  mode  of  declar- 
ing war,  119 ;  attends  Williams- 
burg Convention,  113;  chosen 
a  delegate  to  Congress,  115; 
elected  to  the  House  of  Bur- 
gesses, 177. 
Washington,  General,  at  Newburg, 
receives  the  king's  speech,  70 ; 
forbids  correspondence  with 
ships  of  war  belonging  to  Great 
Britain,  63 ;  reaches  New  York, 
attended  by  General  Gates  and 
William  Palfrey,  55;  receives  a 
committee  from  the  Virginia 
Assembly,  104 ;  first  engage- 
ment near  Roxbury,  101 ;  orders 
that  sentries  be  natives  of  this 
country,  100;  orders  a  feu-de- 
joie  to  celebrate  the  Fourth  of 
July,  99;  issues  his  first  order 
at  Cambridge,  99 ;  takes  com- 
mand of  the  army  at  Cambridge, 
98  ;  received  at  Watertown  by 
the  Provincial  Congress,  98 ; 
suggests  uniform  for  the  Conti- 
nental soldiers,  112 ;  last  entry  of 
accounts  with  the  Government, 
97;  gives  his  opinion  of  Lord 
Cornwallis,  112;  crosses  the 
Delaware  marching  on  Philadel- 
phia, 112;  explains  the  move- 
ments of  the  two  armies  about 
New  York,  111 ;  makes  prepara- 
tions to  attack  New  York,  111 ; 
at  Preakness,  110 ;  at  "  Sun 
Inn,"  Bethlehem,  109;  estab- 
lishes headquarters  at  Ramapo, 
109 ;  makes  three  divisions  of  his 
troops,  108 ;  congratulates  the 
army  on  the  arrival  of  the 
French  forces  at  Rhode  Island, 
107 ;  orders  the  army  to  attend 
divine  service  with  arms  and 
ammunition,  107 ;  orders  the  re- 
moval of  Harvard  students  to 
Concord,  107 ;  acknowledges  res- 
olution of  March  25.  1776,  58 ; 
Commander-in-chief,  mourner 
at  funeral  of  Don  Juan  Murilles, 
64 ;  Commander-in-chief,  orders 
"Cessation  of  Hostilities,"  58; 
thanks  Congress  for  the  com- 
munication regarding  news  of 
peace,  48;  describes  the  posi- 
tion of  the  enemy  at  Boston,  48, 
110;  visits  the  old  cantonment 
at  Valley  Forge,  112 ;  returns  to 
Newburg  after  an  absence  of 
seven  months,  49;  received  at 
Princeton  by  Congress,  126 ;  de- 
clines the  150  shares  of  stock 
voted  him  by  the  Assembly,  30 ; 
forbids  games  of  chance  in  the 
army,  30;  writes  John  Jay  re- 
garding General  Gates,  56 ;  gives 


206 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  DAY  BY  DAY. 


Lafayette  a  command  with  the 
hope  of  capturing  Arnold,  27 ; 
suggestions  in  regard  to  bounty, 
17 ;  accounts  with  United  States 
of  America,  1 ;  in  regard  to  tu- 
tors and  secretaries,  20 ;  orders 
the  first  badge  of  distinction  for 
his  soldiers,  85 ;  holds  a  council 
of  war  at  Valley  Forge,  69 ;  es- 
timates the  stores  at  West  Point, 
69 ;  starts  for  the  Constitutional 
Convention,  69 ;  writes  from 
Middlebrookto  Gouverneur  Mor- 
ris, 69;  leaves  for  Ringwood, 
N.  J.,  to  arrange  for  exchange  of 
prisoners,  58 ;  dines  with  Sir  Guy 
Carleton,  69;  rebukes  Lund 
Washington  for  supplying  Brit- 
ish vessel,  64  ;  sends  letter  of 
condolence  to  Lady  Stirling,  11 ; 
required  to  appear  before  Con- 
gress, 73 ;  observes  May  17  with 
"fasting,  humiliation,  and 
prayer,"  73 ;  chosen  president 
of  the  Constitutional  Conven- 
tion, 77 ;  meets  with  the  Consti- 
tutional Convention  at  Philadel- 
phia, 72 ;  thanks  the  Univer- 
sity of  Yale  for  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Laws,  72;  organizes 
his  guard  at  New  York,  71 ;  ar- 
ranges for  a  meeting  with  Ro- 
chambeau,  73;  signs  the  oath 
required  by  Congress  at  Valley 
Forge,  71;  arrives  at  Philadel- 
phia, 71 ;  approves  of  the  work 
done  by  army  chaplains,  44 ;  at 
the  head  of  the  army,  enters 
Boston,  43 ;  limits  one  sutler  to 
a  regiment,  21;  suggests  con- 
necting by  canal  the  Ohio  and 
Chesapeake  Bay,  23 ;  appeals 
for  cattle  to  Delaware,  Pennsyl- 
vania, Maryland,  and  Virginia, 
25 ;  urges  his  mother  to  rent  her 
homestead,  24;  proposes  to  at- 
tack Boston  over  the  ice,  25; 
writes  extolling  the  life  of  a  hus- 
bandman, 23 ;  issues  pardon  to 
all  deserters,  21 ;  gratified  at  the 
action  of  his  officers  in  regard 
to  the  Newburg  Addresses,  41 ; 
orders  1000  men  who  had  had 
smallpox  to  enter  Boston,  42 ; 
writes  Lafayette  in  regard  to  the 
failure  of  the  Canadian  expedi- 
tion, 38 ;  regrets  the  delay  in 
presenting  Rochambeau  the  ord- 
nance voted  by  Congress,  21; 
writes  to  president  of  Congress 
regarding  "  credit  of  our  mon- 
ey," 60 ;  urges  enlistment  of  Ger- 
man prisoners,  62;  writes  regard- 
ing embroidery  of  uniforms,  14 ; 
writes  secretary  of  Congress  re- 
garding his  original  commission, 
12 ;  gives  advice  to  his  nephew 
Bushrod,  8 ;  writes  Lafayette 
that  the  enemy  evacuated  the 
Carolinas,  5 ;  arranges  for  the 
evacuation  of  New  York,  68  ;  cir- 
cular letter  discussed  by  Con- 
gress, 86;    letter   to  Governor 


Livingstone  regarding  plot  of 
assassination,  53  ;  opens  the  ball 
with  Mrs.  Knox  at  Pluckamin, 
26 ;  orders  Lafayette  to  com- 
mand '*.  a  valuable  detachment," 
74;  chosen  president- general  of 
the  Society  of  the  Cincinnati,  90 ; 
determines  to  attack  Sir  Henry 
Clinton,  76 ;  leaves  New  York  for 
Philadelphia,  75 ;  accompanied 
by  Charles  Thompson,  starts  for 
the  seat  of  Government,  57 ;  cir- 
cular letter  issued  by  Congress, 
90 ;  refuses  pay  for  his  services, 
89 ;  reviews  militia  at  Philadel- 
phia, 78;  superintends  his  im- 
provements at  Mount  Vernon, 
78;  celebrates  at  Valley  Forge 
the  ratification  of  the  French 
alliance,  67,  68  ;  is  informed  of 
the  French  Alliance  Treaty,  65  ; 
published  "Proclamation of  Con- 
gress ordering  Cessation  of  Hos- 
tilities, "  58 ;  Commander-in-chief, 
writes  circular  letter  regard- 
ing levying  of  troops,  11 ;  Com- 
mander-in-chief, at  Cambridge, 
prepares  instructions  regulating 
pay,  9;  issues  proclamation  re- 
garding oath  of  allegiance  to 
United  States  of  America,  13; 
and  Governor  Clinton,  endeavor 
to  buy  land  at  Saratoga,  115 ; 
and  Lafayette  meet,  114;  at 
West  Point,  107 ;  writes  Lafay- 
ette on  his  retirement,  18 ; 
birthday  celebrated  at  Cam- 
bridge, Dorchester  County,  Md., 
22 ;  takes  possession  of  New 
York,  173 ;  farewell  to  the  army, 
161 ;  notes  planting  willow-trees 
at  Mount  Vernon,  42  ;  favors  in- 
oculation, 84;  social  relaxation, 
81 ;  made  military  dictator,  190 ; 
prepares  to  obey  the  summons 
of  Congress  to  take  the  execu- 
tive chair,  46  ;  retaliates,  160  ; 
congratulates  army  at  York- 
town,  155;  orders  the  execution  of 
Major  Andre,  145  ;  his  orders  re- 
garding gaming,  146 ;  thanks  the 
French  officers  at  Yorktown, 
151 ;  attends  the  commence- 
ment at  Princeton  College,  141 ; 
reaches  Hartford  and  welcomes 
the  French  officers,  139;  em- 
barks on  the  Queen  Charlotte  to 
interview  the  French  admiral, 
138 ;  establishes  headquarters  at 
the  Morris  House,  Harlem,  136 ; 
arrives  at  Mount  Vernon  en 
route  for  Yorktown,  133;  estab- 
lishes headquarters  at  Wythe 
House,  Williamsburg,  135 ;  took 
post  near  Chadd's  Ford,  133; 
and  his  staff  are  received  at  Bal- 
timore, 133 ;  appoints  commis- 
sioners to  settle  a  cartel  for  ex- 
change of  prisoners,  133;  in- 
spects an  ironing-machine  called 
a  mangle,  130 ;  divides  his  army 
in  New  York  into  three  divisions, 
132 ;  receives  news  of  the  arrival 


of  the  French  fleet  in  Chesapeake 
Bay,  131;  notifies  Congress  of  his 
arrival  at  Annapolis,  187  ;  from 
Valley  Forge  congratulates  the 
army  on  the  arrival  of  ordnance 
from  France,  187 ;  orders  labora- 
tories established  at  Hartford 
and  York,  186 ;  returns  visits 
at  Annapolis,  187 ;  adopted  into 
"The  Society  of  the  Friendly 
Sons  of  St.  Patrick,"  185;  re- 
ceives the  President  and  Su- 
preme Executive  Council  of 
Pennsylvania,  182;  from  Gulf 
Mill  thanks  the  army  for  its 
fortitude  and  patience,  185 ; 
leaves  Philadelphia  for  the  last 
time,  184  ;  attacked  by  his  mor- 
tal illness,  183 ;  takes  his  last 
ride,  183 ;  crosses  the  Delaware 
at  Trenton,  181 ;  takes  leave  of 
his  officers,  179;  attends  the 
second  session  of  the  fifth  Con- 
gress, 178 ;  orders  fireworks  in 
New  York,  178 ;  answers  an  ad- 
dress from  the  inhabitants  of 
the  Kingdom  of  Ireland,  178; 
establishes  headquarters  at 
Ford  House,  Morristown,  180; 
inspects  lands  and  rivers  among 
the  Alleghany  Mountains,  129 ; 
reaches  Princeton  after  march- 
ing all  night,  178 ;  and  Mrs.,  in- 
vite friends  to  meet  "  the  couple 
just  married,"  29;  and  Mrs.,  re- 
turn to  Middlebrook  from  Phila- 
delphia, 19. 
Washington,  George,  of  Virginia, 
chosen  President  of  the  United 
States,  52;  approves  an  act  fix- 
ing postage  and  conferring  the 
franking  privilege,  27;  approves 
of  first  Patent  Law,  54;  approves 
the  act  locating  the  seat  of  Gov- 
ernment, 105;  dines  with  the 
citizens  of  Charleston,  66;  at 
New  York,  attends  the  first  in- 
augural ball,  68 ;  dines  with  the 
Governor  of  South  Carolina,  68 ; 
urges  the  extension  of  the  boun- 
dary of  the  Federal  City,  68 ;  at 
Camden,  S.  C,  77 ;  at  Columbia, 
S.  C,  77;  gives  his  first  state 
dinner  at  New  York,  79;  re- 
turns from  his  Southern  tour, 
87;  official  advisers  of,  82;  ar- 
rives at  Charleston,  S.  C,  66; 
leaves  Savannah,  Ga.,  72;  ap- 
peals to  Austria  for  the  release 
of  Lafayette,  72  ;  general  of  the 
Society  of  the  Cincinnati,  73 ; 
receives  the  committee  of  the 
Senate,  74 ;  leaves  Augusta,  Ga., 
75 ;  gives  a  dinner  at  Executive 
Mansion,  No.  3  Cherry  Street,  19; 
requests  his  cabinet  to  arrange 
ceremony  of  inauguration,  35; 
designates  the  public  reserva- 
tions in  Washington  City,  34; 
last  official  act,  34 ;  replies  to 
the  protest  of  the  Selectmen  of 
Boston,  111 ;  describes  the  good 
influence  of  the  General  Govern- 


GENERAL  INDEX. 


207 


ment  upon  the  Southern  States, 
111 ;  annoyance  at  neglect  of 
census  in  North  Carolina,  61 ; 
"  dined  and  lodged  with  my  sis- 
ter Lewis"  at  Fredericksburg, 
53 ;  President-elect,  triumphal 
march  of,  56 ;  meets  landholders 
of  the  Federal  District,  48 ;  takes 
the  oath  of  office  as  President, 
64;  first  annual  address  to 
Congress,  5;  gives  a  theater 
party  at  New  York,  70;  calls 
on  the  widow  of  General  Green, 
71 ;  appears  before  Congress 
for  the  last  time,  170 ;  writes  a 
letter  of  condolence  to  General 
Knox,  133 ;  favors  giving  sites 
to  foreign  ministers  in  the  capi- 
tal, 137;  as  Master  Mason  as- 
sists in  laying  the  corner-stone 
of  the  Capitol,  138;  issues  his 
farewell  address  to  the  people, 
138 ;  five  nephews  in  the  field, 
143;  starts  for  Western  Penn- 
sylvania, 145;  delivers  second 
annual  address,  157;  received 
at  Boston,  157;  starts  on  his 
Southern  tour,  43 ;  urges  the  re- 
peal of  the  tax  on  transportation 
of  public  prints,  178;  and  Mrs., 
entertain  at  Executive  Mansion, 
Philadelphia,  31;  ex-President, 
Master  Mason,  51 ;  leaves  Phila- 
delphia for  Mount  Vernon,  37. 

Washington,  George  Steptoe,  11. 

Washington,  Harriet,  placed  in 
care  of  Mrs.  Lewis,  161. 


Washington,  John  Augustine,  33, 
63. 

Washington  Lodge,  Alexandria, 
Va.,  arranges  for  the  funeral 
rites,  of  masonry,  185. 

Washington,  Lund,  distant  rela- 
tive and  trusted  friend,  174. 

Washington,  Major  Lawrence, 
dies  at  Mount  Vernon,  110. 

Washington,  Martha,  arrives  at 
Cambridge,  182 ;  by  the  bedside 
of  her  dying  husband,  184  ;  dies 
at  Mount  Vernon,  76 ;  writes 
a  quaint  letter  to  Mrs.  Morris, 
186. 

Washington,  Mary,  alarmed  at  her 
son's  idea  of  joining  Braddock, 
50  ;  asks  advice  of  her  brother, 
74 ;  dies  at  Fredericksburg,  Va., 
125 ;  mother  of  George,  22. 

Washington,  Richard,  London 
merchant,  51. 

Washington,  Samuel,  11. 

Washington,  William,  24,  63. 

Wayne,  General  Anthony,  at 
Paoli,  160. 

Weare,  Meshech,  Washington's 
letter  to,  17. 

Wentz  House, Worcester,  Pa.,  154. 

West  Indies  in  distress  from  hurri- 
canes, 176. 

West  Point,  General  Washington 
receives  answer  to  his  farewell 
address  at,  168. 

Wheatley,  Miss  Phillis,  31. 

White,  Bishop,  of  Pennsylvania, 
89. 


Whitehouse,  New  Kent  County, 
Va.,  4. 

White  Plains  court-house  set  on 
fire,  164. 

Whiting,  Mr.  Beverly,  godfather 
to  George  Washington,  22. 

Willard,  Joseph,  corresponding 
secretary  of  American  Acad- 
emy, 44. 

William  and  Mary  College  an  ob- 
ject of  veneration,  158. 

Williams,  David,  140. 

Wolcott,  Oliver,  17. 

Wooster,  General,  the  fall  of  the 
gallant,  63. 

Worcester,  Washington  to  leave 
his  coach  at,  155. 

Works  of  defense  at  New  York, 
56. 


"Yankee  Club,  The,"  Stewards- 
town,  County  Tyrone,  Ireland, 

Yellow  fever  in  Philadelphia,  156. 

Yeomanry,  five  battles  of  the,  63. 

York  Island,  an  attack  on,  97. 

Yorktown,  colors  taken  at,  192 ; 
Congress  resolves  to  erect  col- 
umn at,  159;  exterior  works 
abandoned,  144;  investiture  of, 
143;  ordnance  and  stores  dis- 
posed of  at,  168. 

Young,  Arthur,  183. 


Zinzendorf,  Count,  66. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 
LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 

Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


LIBRARY  USF 


Mi\R  3  ■  19S0 


RECTD  LD 

MAR  3    1959 


LD  21A-50m-9,'58 
(6889sl0)476B 


General  Library 

University  of  California 

Berkeley 


YD   12- 


